I have a history of being TIGHT with money. My father-in-law used to make fun of me constantly because of it. I think he usually referred to me being so tight I squeaked when I walked.
Well, this Christmas I have gone spending crazy on things for N...well, crazy for me, which for many people would just be a drop in the bucket. I started looking up stats on the Internet to see how much parents spend on their kids on average. I read anywhere from $100 per kid to $400 per kid. I nearly swallowed my tongue when I read the $400 amount. Maybe I haven't gone as hog wild as I thought???
N is just at that great age when she loves such cute toys--Barbie and Disney Princess toys and Polly Pocket. Everything is pink and purple and just sickly sweet. As a female, it has just been alot of fun to walk through the toy store aisles at all the girly things.
I guess it balances out because I have spent hardly anything on G. I mean, he's nearly 3 months so he doesn't care--the best toy for him is his fingers. I wasn't going to get him anything but I figured he'd have to wait until September for birthday so I got him some 6-9 month toys.
After purchasing a toy for a 5-year-old male neighborhood friend of N's this fall, I have decided that D is responsible for purchasing all gift items for G once he gets into decidedly boy toys. I will give him a set amount of cash and tell him to knock himself out. Boy toys do not look fun AT ALL. Everything is black or brown or orange (yes, I know every girl toy is pink or purple--but I like those colors). There is nothing appealing to me about cars, dump trucks, or Transformers. Mostly it all gives me a headache.
I guess despite my worries about developing cash-flow problems, I should really savor this time. All too soon I will be trying to persuade N to ask for something not so slutty from the mall boutiques and trying to find one gizmo for G that costs less than the GDP of a small African nation.
2 comments:
When I had a boy, I envisioned building blocks, Legos, Playmobile, etc. And I had a boy who detests building. -sigh- Although I myself detest sports, when I buy these things for Andrew, I enjoy it because of the sheer joy it brings to him. You may find you don't mind shopping for G someday.
And I find myself already pining to buy dollhouses, play cribs, Barbies, etc. for my 1 year old. It is hard to be patient to buy fun little girl toys.
We have always tried to keep spending under $100 per kid, but it has gotten harder as A.C. has gotten older. With the purchase of just a couple of items we reached the $100 mark with her pretty quickly so this year we have broken our own rules. Every year I struggle with finding the right balance - I don't want my kids to get so much that they appreciate nothing, but I also want there to be enough that they get the same feeling of awe that I experienced as a child on Christmas morning.
Susan
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