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With the holiday season in full swing and parents making choices for what to buy their children, it is time to stop and think about what you are buying. As a parent it is frustrating enough walking in to any store and finding all the “must have” toys are either $49.99 or $99.99. First what kind of message are we sending when we buy toys that cost that much? Why must we stretch ourselves to the limit to satisfy our child’s wishes. Will we really be a bad parent if we don’t give in and chase all over town for the hot new toy?
The price of toys has just gotten out of hand. But it goes beyond that. Toys plus accessories. It is bad enough paying $49.99 for something but then to have to buy another $100 worth of accessories to go with it. Isn’t it exciting that all these items can be expanded with “addons”. The list goes on and on--video game players need games, dolls need accessories, “collect the whole set!” Lego sets for $100, dvd collections, ipods need itunes downloads.
First case in point, the new Flypen. It is a computer pen that retails for $69.00. I guess it can do all sorts of things as long as you have the “flypaper” “flygames” and all the other “fly” stuff. Is a gadget worth it if you have to buy special paper? Second case in point. As I was walking through the toy isle at Target, I saw a Easy Bake Oven on sale. Since I have a boy, not something I normally look at. But what really blew me away is all the food mixes you can buy for it. Mac and cheese for $4.95! Please! Teach your child a real lesson, take them to the grocery store and show them how many boxes of mac and cheese you can buy for $4.95. And then buy them and donate them to the local food shelf.
They will always get us coming back for more. This is not something new, it has been going on for a long time and not just in toys. This is why you can buy a $100 printer for your computer and the replacement ink is $79.00. You go to buy a new car and the extras drive up the price a few more thousand. Upgrade, addons and extras are draining our pocketbooks. What a wonderful life lesson you can teach your child to explain if they buy that item, all the extra things they will need to buy to go with it. Teach them that they will probably get bored with that $100 toy after a short time.
The best gift you could give your child this holiday season is the gift of time. Buy something you and your child can do together. Buy a $100 worth of art or craft materials for projects you can work on together. Take your child to the store and have them pick out toys for children who don’t have any and then drop them off at Toys for Tots. Buy a family season pass to your local zoo or museum. Save money for a family vacation or even a weekend in a hotel with a pool. As parents we don’t need to fall for the must have, hot, way overpriced toys. We can say no. Teach them now so someday they will know how to say no to what will probably be the $500 toys for their children.
One more thing--batteries not included.
Christmas Toy Shopping Online - 10 Reasons
With the Christmas season approaching, here are 10 reasons to do your toy shopping online.
1. Child free. Trying to shop for the Christmas presents with your children in tow does not really work. Why not shop on the Internet when they are in bed or busy with something else?
2. Crowd free. Avoid the hustle and bustle of the High Street, trying to get a pushchair around a cramped and busy shop.
3. 24/7 shopping. The Internet is open for shopping at all hours. With the exception of a couple of large supermarkets, why tie yourself to when your local toy shops are open?
4. Range of toys available. You can find pretty much every toy available on the Internet. It’s a great way to find unusual and different ideas when you get stuck in the rut of buying the same type of present year after year - after all, our niche is wooden toys and we stock some very hard to find items. A surefire way of getting away from the cloned High Streets and malls we live with today.
5. Time saving. The children are not with you - and do not know what you have got them. You are not fighting off the crowds of other shoppers. You can fit your shopping into a time that is convenient for your. No finding the last parking space in town. Get the toy shopping out of the way and when you do go to the High Street, you can relax and shop for fun.
6. No shopping bags. Five full shopping bags hanging off the pushchair, the car parked at the top of a multistory carpark a mile away and the busy shopping center to negotiate. Shop online and juggling the shopping bags is history (as is keeping out the little prying hands and eyes).
7. Home or work delivery. The majority of online stores will happily deliver to your workplace or home. If you want the toys quickly, many stores will offer a courier option. While most stores will charge a postage and packing fee, just think how much you have saved on car parking, petrol and time - and if you spend enough, the store will probably throw in free postage.
8. Range of payment options. On the Internet you can pay easily by card. Many stores will accept payment by cheque or postal order. Then there are also the online payment options such as PayPal. Don’t forget that PayPal and many banks and credit card companies offer Internet fraud protection for online purchases.
9. Discounts. You may well get a good price on the Internet, but the trick to getting extra discounts is to sign up for mailing lists on websites that interest you. You will probably find that from time to time you will get extra offers, discounts and lower shipping costs.
10. Right to Cancel. In many countries you have extra rights when purchasing online. In Britain and the EU, you may cancel your order at any time during the first seven working days after delivery - for any reason at all.
Above all play safe when paying for your Christmas shopping. Check the page that asks for your payment details either has a padlock icon at the bottom or https:// before the web address. Check that you have ‘real world’ contact details for the shop. Do a quick search on the Internet for the store to see if anyone has reported unresolved problems.
Enjoy your Christmas shopping!
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