Baby 5000: Batteries Not Included
Since when have babies needed so much stuff? After spending the past few days creating a registry (or few) for our own Wee Watkins, I have nearly lost my mind. And come up with a brilliant plan… I am now hard at work to develop a shrink ray, so that I may return to infant size. I will register myself for a bunch of really cool stuff that I will not “outgrow” this time around, and rest in the knowledge that I can play with Legos and stuffed animals forever without anyone giving me dirty or odd looks. Although I will eventually be one wrinkly little baby… Hmmmmm… Back to the drawing board I guess.
In the meantime, I continue to toe the line between baby overindulgence and deprivation. Will our kid really remember and resent that fact that we didn’t think we should get Best Friend 5000: the robot that ties shoes, picks noses, eats brussel sprouts, and does homework? Or will Wee appreciate the fact that we didn’t go into debt because the batteries weren’t included?
I think it is wonderful that we have so many choices, and have access to so many safe, comfortable, entertaining and visually appealing products. I only wish there wasn’t so much emphasis on shiny, flashy, noisy technology, and pressure to conform to the same. The fondest memories of my childhood were of interacting with the world and nature, and playing with simple, lo-tech toys.
Damn, I am old.
I just want the best for our child- to grow a person who is intelligent, sensitive, empathetic, enthusiastic, passionate, creative, inquisitive, and wants to make the world a better place. The question I have is this: Does “the best” have to come with accessories?