The sadness of a small plastic toy

Last Saturday Milo was in tears, screaming, "Can you tape it? Can you tape it?" His world was literally coming apart. And by that I mean that this little plastic globe keychain that he'd gotten as a favor at a birthday party had broken and I was not doing a good job of fixing it.

That's when I started to calculate the sadness that this little plastic toy had wrought upon the world.  First, I doubt the working conditions for the people in China who created this toy are ideal. Next, I know the mom who bought the toy for the birthday party favors was not happy. Because even if it's only a dollar, when you're buying enough of these little toys to fill a pinata, that adds up. And since there was only one globe, my children fought bitterly over it. More sadness. And then as soon as we returned home, the globe broke, which brought Milo to tears. I'd like to think those tears were for the working conditions in China, but who am I kidding?

I know this seems all doom and gloom. It's just one little plastic toy, right? But, it's not one. We go to birthday parties at least once a month and my boys aren't even in school yet. Our house is littered with those little plastic toys. Do I just have to live with this until my kids are of the age when their party goody bags are filled with illegal drugs and booze? What's a mom to do?

Comments

[celery]

Keep to mom type issues and not political speak. It doesn't suit you and soils your blog.

[Chris]

@celery - Speaking against horrible working conditions in any country is more humanitarian than political I would say. Although the lines are blurry since our current political system has been hijacked by capitalism.
I personally hate subjecting my kids to capitalist consumerism. It is unavoidable sometimes, like in the example of the party goodies. I just accept the plastic junk as a (sad) fact of life. Although, I almost prefer the plastic junk to the party bag filled with candy. My oldest just went to a party and got 2 party bags, one of plastic junk and one of candy. Ugh.

[Jeanne]

Lighten UP, celery! "soils your blog" !?! PLEASE.
I look forward to Meghan's insight and outlook. Helps me focus and feel not so swamped by my teens to remember the simpler days of plastic toys between the cushions in the couch.
Meghan - Soon they forget them and make a "treasure chest" of a box. On a rainy day or an "I'm Bored" day pull them out and see what fun they have making situation of the mix/mash. While Milo's Mr. Rubber snake is going to attack the Huck's tiny globe . . . opps - now that sounds biblical. Sorry celery!

[Yolanda]

That post was hardly political, and even if it was, it is absolutely within your right to post it here. It is, after all, YOUR blog. If people are not interested in your thoughts and feelings, they would do better to read something else. So much of what we consume is done unconciously. I love the idea using the sadness of your child at this broken toy as a jumping point for reflecting on all the sadness the toy has caused before it's demise. It's thoughtful, and thought-provoking.

[Mike]

You're all wrong. This isn't a political post at all. It's not about working conditions or political oppression. It's about poorly made toys and their effect on American youth! Duh! Duuuuuh!!

[Irnbru]

Political comments aside - (who'd knew that blog entry would cause this reaction!!!!)

Just enjoy the days they are fighting over a plastic toy and not old enough to be wanting booze and drugs that's when you can't fix it by tape and you wish you could!