The Christmas season came and left in a hurry. As the bin of flattened cardboard boxes was carted out to the sidewalk, I breathed a sigh of relief. It’s over. Another frenzy shopping spree through Amazon has left us poorer and our home more cluttered.
I miss the days when my children were small. Any simple and colorful toys would capture their attention and leave them busy and happy for hours. Gone are the days of LEGO and Shopkin dolls when we could leave the kids alone with a clear conscience…that they weren’t entertained by YouTube for hours on end. It didn’t seem that long ago when I could pack a Doodle Pro and keep our 3-year-old son entertained after a meal in a restaurant. A year ago I was sitting near a toddler that wailed and demanded to have her mother’s phone. I shared with this mom my Doodle Pro solution. She dismissed it with a chuckle. “Doodle Pro? It won’t work! It has to be the phone.”
Now my kids are 12, 10, and 8, I had to rely on the internet to find interesting toys. I came across a website created by a British dad from the United Kingdom. He blogged about unusual, yet popular toys for the overly stimulated kids.
Something on this site caught my attention – a flying “drone” with no other purpose besides getting the kids out of their seats and off those screens to chase it around. It wasn’t cheap. It cost $17.99 but this version comes with the fancy disco lights.
I wrapped it up and gave it to my son as a Christmas gift. I was eager to see his reaction. For a brief second, his eyes sparkled with some curiosity, but it would take some convincing for him to actually open the package. Immediately after he took out the flying ball, it soared. Sounds of delightful squeal filled our living room as the children marveled at this amazing toy.
I felt I have finally succeeded at something – I’ve found a Christmas gift that was liked.
I gave my 8-year-old a cork board, a pretty one, and she banged her head against it.
“What am I going to do with it other than banging my head against it?” she asked in her usual dramatic voice.
“You can pin your drawing on it,” I suggested. As clownish as she is, she banged her head even harder against it.
Just in case the cork board would fail to impress, I had another gift prepared. My 8-year-old is fanatical about making slimes. The condition of my home has deteriorated drastically ever since she discovered this strange and mildly-addictive matter. I’ve got glue and glitter in the sink, on the light switch, coffee table, and the floor. I have broken my nails trying to scrape off the sticky gunk. Even so, I still have this irrational desire to make my children happy. I spent $15.99 on the Fluffy Rainbow Slime, an Amazon’s Choice.
“Why did you give me slime that is already made? I want the kits to make the slime and not the actual slime!” My daughter then went on to critique this Amazon’s Choice – it was not stretchy enough. She played with it for less than a minute.
I gave my 10-year-old four books from the Nancy Drew Diaries series since she had been talking about it. After she carefully unwrapped the present and saw these books that Christmas morning, she didn’t have the reaction I was looking for. She was quiet. I knew exactly what she was thinking.
I can get these books any time of the year…why did Mom waste it on Christmas?
Now let us go back and talk about my one successful gift – the flying ball.
The day after Christmas, my 8-year-old came into my room. From the sound of her steps, I knew it was bad news.
“Mom, it broke. It doesn’t fly anymore.”
I was annoyed and disappointed. My husband was determined to fix it. He found a screwdriver with the finest point and took the whole thing apart. But there weren’t enough clues about how this thing works. There was no manual and my 12-year-old son couldn’t believe it. He has never come across any brand new product without a manual.
“I will ask them to send us a new one. How can a toy this expensive only work for a day!” I said to my husband, who then looked at me incredulously.
Of course, I won’t tell them how many times this thing crash-landed in the hand of my 8-year-old when the label on the package indicates this is a 14+ toy.
Instead of leaving a damaging review like most unhappy customers that seek some sort of payback through their words, I contacted the seller directly.
Yesterday, a package was delivered. A brand-new box of the Flying Ball came to replace its fallen comrade.
One thing I have grown over the years is the thickness of my skin. I learned the art of asking – as long as I am reasonable, and as long as my heart is in the right place. Jesus once said these words,
“Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” (John 16:24)
Indeed, our joy was complete. I will be writing Alice back to fulfill my promise to give her company a reasonable review. I am amused by Alice’s excitement to help a customer that is Chinese. I found her to be absolutely sweet and interesting. I wish I could write and talk like her with the freedom to ignore English grammar…and still be able to convey care and respect!
By the way, the same item now sells for $13.99 on Amazon. I am sure somewhere along the line the Chinese still made a decent profit out of me!
Now I understand why you asked me if my children are still pleased with the Christmas gifts they’ve received…
That’s right…Grace! It’s getting harder to figure out what to buy for the kids! I know what they really wanted – it’s the latest tech devices! But now when I choose not to give in…there is peace, because our ‘no’ is a firm one. I learned my lesson the hard way.