Meltdown fallout: some parents rethink toy-buying

[Liberal_in_LA]

Meltdown fallout: some parents rethink toy-buying
By DAVID CRARY – 8 hours ago

NEW YORK (AP) — In a season that inspires earnest letters about toys, one notable batch is being sent not by kids to Santa's workshop but by parents to the executive suites of real-world toy makers.

The message: Please, in these days of economic angst, cut back on marketing your products directly to our children.

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The toy industry is commonly viewed as recession-resistant, due largely to the parent-child dynamic.

"Parents have trouble saying no," said Allison Pugh, a University of Virginia sociology professor. She says parents often buy toys to avoid guilt and ensure their children feel in sync with school classmates.

"Even under circumstances of dire financial straits, that's the last thing parents give up," said Pugh. "They'll contain their own buying for themselves before they'll make their child feel different at school."

Amanda Almodovar says she encounters such families in her work as an elementary school social worker in Alamance County, N.C., where homelessness and unemployment are rising.

"I had one parent who said she'd prostitute herself to get what her child wants," Almodovar said. "It's heartbreaking. They feel inadequate as parents.

"I try to tell them, worry about your home, your heating bill — but they're the ones who have to look into children's faces, the children saying 'I want this, I want that.'"

Even in some households not in fiscal crisis, there's a sense that this holiday season is different.

[Lex]

1. My 87 year old grandmother said to me at Thanksgiving this year

that when she was little at Christmas, the kids got fruit and nuts and some hard candy in their stockings and that was it. Then they had a big nice family meal with pies and cakes, which was a big deal. That was a good Christmas. That was all they knew and so they thought that was how it supposed to be. Oh, and they had a tree that they decorated together, which was also a big fun deal for them.

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. fastforward to the 1980s... I've watched kids get so many presents that they

lose interest in opening them. The parent has to prompt them to keep opening.

[Old Codger]

4. as a child

We decorated the tree together, then on Xmas morning we all opened whatever presents we had, we drew names with cousins so always had one from a cousin, then small stuff from parents, usually whatever clothes we needed, sox underwear, and such and then one more or less major present for us to share, there were six of us so it could get to be fun.. But that was xmas and we loved it... not a lot but a lot of love and togetherness. always a big meal and lots of family stuff.

[L0oniX]

3. Just more victims of capitalism running wild.

Are kids so stupid that they don't realize that food, clothing and shelter are the things to be thankful for, or is it the parents who haven't taught them to have respect for how good they have it even without stupid toys and bull shit?