Posted in Life

We have a TV in our home.  We have a dvd player and vcr.  We rent plenty from the library.  I have a long personal history with Disney (too much to explain here), so we do watch Disney movies.  Do you know what drives me crazy?  How my kids are so drawn into the advertising of characters.

Now, I thought it cute when my dd (2) saw a night gown that h ad huge pieces of fruit on it and thought it was the hungry caterpillar, which of course it was just a generic night gown.  However, I have found that even that can cause a mindful of attention to the wrong things.  If it has Bob & Larry on it, we are ok.  My son (4) is wanting a shirt with a Lightning McQueen from Cars, my dd will only wear clothes that remind her of something she likes, ds is drawn to clothes that have any type of sport on it...golf, surfing, hockey, football, lacrosse, you name it.  It goes on and on.  We have a source for hand me downs, so I go through them and pass on what I don't think the kids will wear.  On top of that is their pull towards characters.

Companies make everything character oriented today, not just clothes: movies, toys, books, bicycles, eyeglasses, bedding, bathrooom decor, kitchenware, shoes...you name it they make it with a character.  Christian consumerism is not immune.  Veggie Tales items are big items, to name one. 

Now, I can honestly say, my olders aren't drawn to this stuff anymore.  Clothes are whatever mom comes home from the goodwill with.  Shoes, well whatever mom says we can afford and is comfortable.  However, they are sucked in by other consumer items, like books.  BIG one.  Our family has been known to sit in the bookstore for an entire day.  We have even gone to the store for a few hours, left to grab a bite to eat, and return for a few more hours! 

This thing called affluenza, it is being bred into our children?  Is it me or is our culture completely inundated with consumer products pushed by characters?  Is there anything wrong with characters?  If the character products are not controlling you, then I would say no.  But it is very difficult to explain to a child why they can't have a every item they see with a character on it.  TV ads don't help, but since the kids don't watch much commercial tv anymore, that has mostly passed for us. 

Yet that brings me to the idea that ads cause kids to keep wanting more, just like ads for adults.  You aren't cool until you have this racetrack set; or you aren't beautiful until you have the pretty pincess accessory kit.  My children wouldn't even know that 3/4 of toys existed if it weren't for ads.  As parents, we often succumb to the pressures of buying things based on our leftover emotions from childhood. 

How many yards have playground euipment, trampolinhes, skateboard ramps, and every toy known to man.  What does this leave to do away from teh home.  Kids begin to take for granted the items that they have at their disposal, and soon going to the playground is no big deal!  YIKES! 

We have a swingset, and we use it.  However, going to the playground is one of my children's favorite outtings.  They also enjoy going to the library and the bookstore.  Our bookstores have the cool Thomas tables, which are always a blast. 

I guess I feel the character consumerism is driving me a little batty.  I don't mind some things, but I think I would rather be without them.  Hmmm....

These are my thoughts.