The Walmart Run
A lesson in pink plastic.
This story starts with coins.
“Hey Dad - Why do you have my piggy bank open and coins on your desk?”
I explained that I needed a quarter and I didn’t have any, so I took one. She was okay with that answer and then she brought up all the piggy banks so we could look at the coins. Because it’s our house we had some from Canada, the USA, the European Union and a few from Spain I think.
Then she brought up the piggy bank with the dollar bills in it. These came from birthday cards, etc over the years so I would just toss it in the coffee tin with some change.
Well.
The child had $110.00!
Then she’s all about spending it, and I went sure - it’s YOUR money - you can do what you want. I know some would say that I should have encouraged her to save save save, and they’re probably right. But this is a lesson. I asked her repeatedly if she wanted to do this.
We ended up at Walmart.
A quick aside about the toy departments of modern times:
the shit is pricey.
it’s all that - shit.
Maybe it’s my rose colored glasses, but I remember coming home from K-Mart or Sears with some cheap toy.
Today, there are no cheap toys They all start about $20 a pop it seems and there wasn’t a cheap little thing I could steer her to. Also they’re not toy departments anymore - they are branded aisles. There’s a row of barbies and a row of Lego and a row of the TV characters and that seemed to be it. Oh, the Fisher Price Aisle for the younger crowd.
I bought her to Walmart thinking selection and was disappointed.
She wanted a washer and dryer plastic crap that was $30 and I steered her to something both a tad cheaper and actually more fun. It was a latte set complete with carry out carrier and cups and straw and play ice and muffins and donuts. It’s actually well made
And then she saw the Disney Play Cash Register and she had to have it. I asked her if she was sure, but this would be like me asking BW if she still wanted to go on a date with Enrique Iglesias. I knew the answer before I asked the question.
“Yes.” She was sure.
So we went to the checkout and she paid with her own money.
On the way out the door we stopped at the vending machine and got sodas before heading home with her new haul of stuff which she played with all afternoon so so far it’s been a good deal. We’re down to about $20 an hour of entertainment costs so far.
That is, until the dog eats the muffin from the latte set.
Until Next Time,
TH and Co.