Bothered by Toys R Us ad this week

[rizzmo]

Our culture is changing at a very fast rate. I agree with Steve that having an item that is that expensive occupy the whole cover is a bit undermining of the whole concept of a toy store, however I think the toy store concept has been fading for quite sometime now.

[tripods68]

Steve----I hear you. I think it is the times that we are livin today. It's hard to hold on to the past. If Toy R Us was public company, shareholders will be clamoring why iPods aren't in our stores, or XBOX, Wii---it has become a demanding society and kids has become spoiled pressured by own peers and technology geeky savvy nurtured kids because of parents. Its not the kids fault they have it all, it boils down to the parents. Again, times has changed. You either becoming too old to keep up with the current technology or your simply viewed as out of touch. Personally I like to keep up with my kids it keeps me young...

[ScrimpAndSave]

Tripods..I agree with you...and I teach elementary kids k-4.

[disneysteve]

I think it is very possible (because we've done it with our own daughter) to have the modern technology without the spoiled, peer-pressured upbringing. We have iPods, cell phones, Wii, computer with high speed access, etc. But none of those things came quick and easy. All were debated and discussed before buying and all their use is regulated now. I think the problems arise when the parents just buy anything and everything and let the kids go wild with it. For example, our daughter has a Nintendo DS but you won't ever see her playing it in a restaurant like we've seen so many times. You also won't see her texting her friends while we're there. Mind you, she has asked if she could bring the game and we've said no. She's pulled out her phone intending to send a text and was told to put it away. We're not afraid to say no to her (we do it all the time ). It just seems that so many parents simply don't.

So I don't believe the problem is the technology. The problem is who gets it and how it is used. And the blatant commercialism and full-page ads certainly don't help.

[glock35ipsc]

I'm more bothered by the whole marketing since those circulars really aren't aimed at parents but at kids. They want to kids to flip through and see the things they then ask mom and dad for at birthday and holiday time.

They know about 90% or so of the kids will bug the crap out of Mom and Dad to get them, and Mom and Dad will most likely cave and buy them because back bones in parents are a rarity these days.

How did our society get so off-track? What happened to Barbie and GI Joe and Lego and board games......

Ever heard of Shopping Spree Barbie? She came with her own credit card. Wonder who sponsored her???

I'm with you, it's ridiculous. I'm glad our kids like playing out in the pasture and making up their own games. Kinda like I did as a kid......

[glock35ipsc]

Forgot to add - my son has an MP3 player. Bought it off of eBay (my account, I did the Buy-It-Now thing for him). He paid for it, and thinks it's the coolest thing since sliced bread. Total cost with shipping was under $5!!!! One of those el cheapo buy now for $0.01 and $4.50 for shipping. It's almost two years old and still playing music!

[MiikeB]

Even worse to me is the grocery store here that has a verizon booth in it.

Also, I am glad someone is telling there kids about when it is appropriate to use technology DS! I hate it when I am out at a restaurant with someone and they text someone else while I am talking. Some people at my job (business dress required, computer technology stuff) walk around carrying DS's and playing them in there cube!

[disneysteve]

Also, I am glad someone is telling there kids about when it is appropriate to use technology DS! I hate it when I am out at a restaurant with someone and they text someone else while I am talking. Some people at my job (business dress required, computer technology stuff) walk around carrying DS's and playing them in there cube!

The problem is it isn't just the kids. The parents are just as bad. Just yesterday, we put up new signs all over my office telling people to turn off their cell phones. Numerous times, someone has been standing at the front desk talking full volume on their cell while the receptionist was trying to carry on a conversation with another patient or trying to talk on the phone (the office line, not a personal call) and she couldn't hear. And many, many times, I've had patients stop in the middle of me examining them to answer their phones. There is simply no sense of place or what is and isn't appropriate to be doing at a given time. And the conversations they have in public spaces are inappropriate, too.

[kork13]

I'm a bit behind, but just wanted to highlight...

We're not afraid to say no to her (we do it all the time ). It just seems that so many parents simply don't.

What a revolutionary way of thinking....

[Ima saver]

I don't even know what an iPod is?? lol

[kork13]

I don't even know what an iPod is?? lol

right... sorry, Ima.... think of it like an 8-track, except it's smaller... ranges from the size of a domino to the size of a deck of cards.


(LOL sorry, did I go too far? )

[KatieNK]

I don't see what is so wrong with an ipod...? I don't see what is wrong with TRU selling them? Toys R Us is a store for babies through teenagers (and adults too)! They have been selling electronics in their "R Zone" for years...

And it is the job of the parents to teach their kids not to beg for things on store circulars. That is something me and my sisters never did.

Also, iPods can be good so I don't get the whole, "You won't find one in my house!" like they are the devil. They can be educational. I have uploaded tons of educational podcasts to mine....

[disneysteve]

Also, iPods can be good so I don't get the whole, "You won't find one in my house!" like they are the devil.

I agree. I think the things are amazing. I only wish I had one back in my college days. I broke my rear hauling crates of records back and forth each time I moved into and out of the dorms and my 2 apartments and 2 houses after that. Every album I owned could have been contained on an iPod that fits in my pocket.

Today, instead of hauling around stacks of CDs and a big player, my daughter can just have her iPod in her purse and have 100 times more music with her.

[pamelad]

I do not shop Toys R Us at all anymore, they are SIMPLY OVERPRICED!!
I do most of my toy shopping at Target, Walmart, Marshalls and TJ Maxx!

[PrincessPerky]

I think part of the problem is that instead of telling our kids to go outside to get out of our hair, we sign them up for daycare, schools, and a bazillion classes. I know after a busy day all I want to do is veg.

But on a normal day... I ship them outside, and I totally understand why Gma did it with hers... you can do so much more with no kids than with 4 of them to trip over!