A sucker to advertising

As we get closer to the holiday season I've started to see more and more commercials on TV advertising what are obviously gift ideas for your kids. I especially notice the ones pushing baby toys by Fisher Price and Play School for obvious reasons. I have one thing to say.... I'm not going to get sucked in this time!!

Last year around this time, with Oliver turning one I saw this great toy that I thought he would love. The kids on the commercial where laughing and playing with all the bells and whistles that the toy offered and I could just picture my little guy playing with it for hours and hours. I ordered it just couldn't wait for Christmas morning for him to open it. Then came the disappointment. He has barely looked at that toy in the last year. For that matter, he's barely looked at most of the toys he has preferring to play with Tupperware, phones, keys and a number of other household items.

I wonder where they find these babies who are laughing and can't seem to get enough of these toys. Are they robot babies that they use for the commercials? When I asked around, my kid's not alone in his disdain for most toys. Those commercials are just there to make you spend money on things you don't need. Duh... I know. That's the point. I guess I should add that to the list of things I'll do differently this time around. Not spend money on flashy toys and just invest in a few extra rubber spatulas so I don't have to go on a treasure hunt every time I want to start supper.

I am happy to report that one of the few toys O does love is the big yellow Tonka dump truck that I insisted on getting him for his first birthday. I'm glad that something I paid too much for and even more to have shipped up here was worth it.

Today's lesson: Don't believe the laughing TV babies.