by Sharon Lai

Created on: February 17, 2009

"I want it! I want that!" your child screams. "If you buy it, I'll never ever ask for something else again! I promise truly with a cherry on top!"

Sound familiar?

Most parents can identify with this kind of children's behavior. Personally, their whining drives me up the wall, until I must say, "OK! ENOUGH! I will buy it for you!"

Then the child, once again triumphant, walks away with the toy, saying "I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU MOMMY!"

Why should we, as parents, think it's kind to buy commercialized toys for kids? Often, they are exaggerated during TV commercials, with hired parents pretending to be incredibly happy about buying the toy for their kid.

When you buy a commercialized, the spending never stops. Soon, they'll want accessories, other toys in the series. According to commercials and advertisements, it's never enough to have just one thing.

For example, you buy an Xbox 360 for your kid, and they're happy and content...

But only for so long...

Soon, they'll want a game. Then another one. Then another one. Then they'll want more controllers. Then they'll want internet access through Xbox Live. Before you know it, you've spent ten times the amount you originally paid for, and your child still isn't happy.

So, it's best to sit back and take a good look at technology. You're never going to get the best of the toys on T.V. You're never going to have enough...

Instead, buy toys that children can experiment with, like Legos. With legos, there's endless possibilities to what they can bring, the same with building blocks like Link'n logs. Get games that aren't extremely popular and on high demand. Chances are, they'll be cheaper as well as less commercialized, coming with less things to buy. Your kids are also going to be equally happy.

When my kid wanted a Nintendo DS for his seventh birthday, I didn't buy him it. The DS makes you buy games- little cartridges that you play with for a couple of weeks, maybe a month- and then you get bored. Smart marketing ideas, I must say, but definitely a poor choice for someone that wants a productive child.

Instead, I spent 20 dollars on many sets of building blocks and plastic figurines. He had a blast at making them destroy each other and making them war. He customized his own buildings and towers, weapons, and made a huge battle scene. Best of all, he was happy without the DS.

So to sum everything up, don't buy commercialized, as it will only trap you in a web of more and more spending- instead, buy toys that you can grow, live, and experiment with forever.

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