My cousin Kerri and I took our kids to the circus last night. Let me preface this post by saying it really is a great show and the ticket prices are pretty reasonable considering the setup and equipment they must have. The part that made our jaws drop was the price of the souvenirs. Let's see....a bag of cotton candy with a cheap felt top hat $12, a snow cone in a plastic tiger cup $12, lemonade in a plastic drink bottle $9, a plastic light-up sword $20. You get the idea. I'm sure there were pricier items to be had....if you're not cheap like me!
I sat there during the show and knew that Leah was watching other kids come walking in with their cheaply made, overpriced junk....oh sorry, I mean with their souvenirs and I wondered what she was thinking. You know that our kids wanted that stuff just like all the other kids and I have to say that they were very good and didn't demand anything or throw a fit when we said "No". They each asked why they couldn't have a light-up sword and we both told them the truth. It's too expensive.
So, when Leah saw a kid come walking in with nachos or something and said "Mommy, I'm hungry", I pulled out her chicken nuggets from my purse that she didn't eat in the car. Then, she sees some kids walking in with their $12 snow cones and said "Mommy, I'm thirsty". What does this cheap mother do? Pulls out a juice box from my purse. (LOVE big purses!)
As we sat in the car leaving the parking garage we watched family after family walk to their cars, arms LOADED with souvenirs. I mean they had BAGS of stuff and most of them had 2-4 kids with them. We each had 1! We sat there and added up each family's purchases as they walked by. One family had $60 worth in their hands and then had about 2 bags full of who knows what!
It was a bit of a joke of course but then again it makes me think. I don't want Leah to sit through every event like this thinking "Why won't Mommy & Daddy let ME have any of that really, super cool stuff? They're SO cheap!" But, I also don't want her thinking she needs to get something everywhere we go. I don't think it's too early to teach her the value of things. If you should think we are depriving our daughter, come on over and take a look around her "toy room". If you can even get in the door that is!
Bottom line is we had a good time and that's all that matters. After all, who doesn't enjoy seeing little white fluffy dogs in green tutus doing back flips??
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2 comments:
I've never seen a little white dog wearing a green tutu doing back flips! Then, I haven't been to the circus since I was a child!
We haven't had Vivi in a situation like that yet, but I know how she is in the grocery store! I think teaching value from a very early age is important. Value and caring for things.
I can just see you and Kerri adding up everyone's garb! Hee Hee!
I love the circus, but your highway robbery point is exactly why I work it with the padres so they take my kids for me. They are suckers for buying them all the extras :).
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