Must Have
These days, we are bombarded from all ends with commercialism. Take chocolate for example. Verizon Wireless is just one company whose advertisements constantly prod you that “everyone wants chocolate”. In their case, it is a cell phone that is named “chocolate.” The ads are so convincing that my 8 year old spent several minutes, in the grocery store, asking me when he would be old enough to have a cell phone. He clarified this to include that he wants his cell phone to be the “chocolate” phone….or he could also have an “iPod nano”…or some other expensive device. He says that Elijah has TWO! *sigh* I doubt *that* is true. The message, however, is clear: “Must Have.”
What do we do with all of this media bombardment and the “must have” message?
It doesn’t stop there.
YaYa has a fundraiser at school to sell wrapping paper. He got his paperwork yesterday and wanted to go door-to-door selling the stuff. It is one, of only two fundraisers, that his school does. And while I want to encourage him to earn money for the many items that schools no longer receive funding for, I am a little bothered by the way the school bribes the kids into action. Like any fundraiser, I suppose, there is reward levels for the number of items that you sell, but I only wonder if the cause gets lost in doing this. Again, he is driven by the “must have” message.
Is it that important to a kid at this age? My husband posed this question to me as I tried to curb YaYa’s excitement when I went online to purchase my gift-wrap in support of both my son and his school. Perhaps not.
It’s not just YaYa; I am a victim too.
*sigh*
While driving to work this morning, I contemplated the idea of putting the whole weight loss thing on hold. I toyed with the idea of just maintaining my current weight as my marathon training intensifies. I am NOT at my desired weight, but I want to keep my energy where it matters most and that is my training. I am sure that my decision on this will vary from day to day. I hope that I can get some sound advice from the JC girl on Sunday.
In the meantime, strawberries dipped in DARK CHOCOLATE were delivered to the “danger zone” at work. Yes, that is what we call the area where the yummy, calorie dense, foods get put. Who could resist? After all it is “chocolate” – DARK CHOCOLATE at that (my favorite) – and “everyone wants chocolate”. Right?!
Back to the fundraiser topic:
After a long discussion on the reason for the fundraiser, I let him post his fundraising information on his blog. So if you “MUST HAVE” some really nice gift-wrap (for all occasions), feel free to click over to his blog for the information and order on his behalf. I know, it is a mixed message – I guess I am conflicted too. I could change my mind and delete the entry, so act now.
There you go…MORE bombardment.
LOL! Sounds you like you need a couple good runs this weekend. Good luck!
Our public schools abandoned the fund-raisers and now just ask each family to fork over $200 per child to cover costs. Then they try to stir up competition by reminding us those wealthy La Jolla parents are way ahead of us with donations. Pretty sad, if you ask me.
It’s endless, isn’t it? It wouldn’t be so bad, if I didn’t feel the money wasn’t spent efficiently. Oh well.
Our schools ask for the $200/kid (not per family – per kid) AND they sell Innisbrook wrap and cookie dough and pizza and have baseball game fundraisers AND a huge auction. Talk about ‘must haves’ getting out of control.
I can tell you from experience it gets really bad in Jr. High and kids cry and have fits over MUST HAVE designer clothing and electronics and then, by the time they get out of high school they can’t even believe they acted that way. Hang tough, Juls!
Meanwhile, I think I need some extra wide wrapping paper.
Thank you 21st CM for your wrapping paper order, and thank you Mom for putting this on your blog.
“and everyone wants chocolate Right?!”
As far I know? Yes.
Yes, indeed they do. And I neglected to mention that you can also order chocolate..DARK CHOCOLATE..
at the fund raiser website.