PSP Envy
My husband and I try very hard to instill our children with the right values. In a neighborhood rife with million-dollar homes that have designer SUV's parked out front, that's not always so easy. Though we ourselves do not have any of those accoutrements, our children are not blind to what so many of their neighbors do have. So try to imagine my chagrin when my six-year-old requested a PSP for his afikomen present.
P.S. He isn't getting one.
P.S. He isn't getting one.
posted by orthomom at 1:08 AM
10 Comments:
Thank g-d my kids don;t even know wat psp is. We don't have a tv, but they're allowed to play all the games they want on pbskids.org. It keep them busy for hours.
someone should create a blog called 5townsmom to discuss the challenges of living an upper middle class lifestyle in the extravagent 5 towns
I didn't think my kids knew what PSP was either. They don't watch TV either. Go figure. The 5TownsMom idea is a great one!
we also let the kids watch dvd's rented form the woodmere/hewlett library, though we carefully monitor anything watch. for example,I won't let a barbie video, or anything that sels toys to kids.
we also spent over $1000 on an enormous backyard climbing, playhouse monstorsity because its worth it to keep them busy and outside when the weathers nice. no tv = more active, less materialistic kids.
That's all very commendable. Pat yourself on the back. (OH, that's what you just did.)As I said, my kids do not watch TV, and they spend LOADS of time outdoors playing with equipment that DID NOT cost over $1000. Alas, they heard about PSP. Go figure.
ok, ok, ok, I gues that did sound a bit too self congratulatory. not my intention though. just glad to find like minded parents in this neighborhood. Neeeeverrrr mind.
Well heck, I bought my playground equipment on Ebay & craigslist, and it still works for keeping the kidlets outdoors (so happy that it's finally spring!)
I can't imagine having my five year-old ask for a PSP, but she did want a Bratz doll (ugh!)
I don't live in your neck of the woods, although I'm very familiar with the 5 Towns and what it represents. I, too, live in your kind of neighborhood, although in the older part, so mine is certainly not a million dollar home, or probably not quite even a half a million dollar home. But my children do see the wealth among schoolfriends and shul friends. I just explain to them that we are not those families -- we have what we have, we live how we live, we are happy, we are healthy, "we DON"T HAVE TO HAVE what all your friends have." One year my husband gave my son the option of a birthday party (which can be very expensive) or a GameBoy. He chose the GameBoy, and I think it even worked out cheaper for us as parents! My children have learned their limitations, and understand that if they really want something badly, something we feel that is frivolous or out of a realistic practical realm, we insist that they pay for the item. We might help them out with the payment, and then they pay us back with birthday/Chanukah gifts. At least this way they appreciate the value of a hard-earned dollar! (My two older children are only 9 1/2 and 7 1/2 years old, so they are quickly learning the difference between what they truly want or what they truly need)
It's not even about the money - he asked my in-laws for the PSP and they are happy to oblige. It's a question of where to draw the line in the sand vis-a-vis materialism and when too much is just too much. I THINK the PSP is over the line. I'm just not 100% sure.
There's even a blog called psp envy!
http://pspenvy.blogspot.com
blog
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