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Home > Blogs > Adventures in Motherhood > Archives > 2010 > December > 07
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Toys not worth Black Friday hype
This mom is not a Black Friday shopper.
There is nothing my family needs so desperately that it merits waiting in line outside a store in freezing temps at 3 a.m.
Especially if it is a toy that is just going to break within hours; not break because my boys are playing too rough with it, but break because the quality of the toy is flat out pathetic.
I have yet to find a new-generation Transformer that doesn’t need its parts snapped back on every five minutes - literally. Transformers from the ‘80’s are virtually unbreakable. I know this because my sons play for hours with my brother’s old ones.
And the Star Wars Storm Trooper ship? Don’t waste your money.
Toy companies today put more money into the elaborate boxes and 400 metal twist ties than they do the actual toy.
Not only do new toys lack quality, but they also befuddle me (much like my parents were befuddled by the craze for Cabbage Patch Kids).
Last year the hot item was Zhu Zhu Pets. For those of you not familiar, Zhu Zhu Pets are battery operated hamsters that propel around in little tunnels (purchased separately); much like real hamsters (minus the smelly clean-up).
I was thankful the boys showed no interest in these things.
Enter, Kung Zhu: the toughened-up version of Zhu Zhu Pets.
I cringed at the ooohs-and-ahhhhs when these things appeared on the TV. A complete Kung Zhu set includes a battle arena, battle armor and battle cars for the hamsters.
I don’t get it, but little boys do.
Thankfully, neither of my sons decided that Stinky the Garbage Truck was something Santa should bring; nor were Mighty Beanz, Pixos or Beyblade.
Santa glazed right over the WWE wrestling figurines circled in the toy catalog opting for the much more practical Pillow Pets.
Yeah, I fell hook, line and sinker for these things, but not until I saw one in a store and reached out to touch it.
Already whisked away to the Land of Soft and Fuzzy, another mom approached me and said, “My son loves his. I stuff his jammies and pull-ups into the middle, fasten it up and send him off to Grandma’s.”
Sold!
Planting the seed early, the American Girl Doll company sent a catalog to my 15-month-old daughter (sorry, that’s not happening).
My daughter is young enough that she probably wouldn’t remember if Santa brought her anything this year (let alone an American Girl doll), but my sons would notice.
So, in the effort of keeping-up-appearances, Sissy will be deluged with Little People (and a Pillow Pet); all budgeted for and purchased long before Black Friday.
Email this contributing writer at Motherhoodcolumn@yahoo.com.
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