Daughter Diaries 2014, January: K, The Thrifty Little Shopper

We mommies know how grandparents are with their apos (grandkids) - they are the ones who give in to their little whims while we have to do the holding back. My parents are no different, although they are (thankfully) not the all-out kind. We were raised with 'just enough' toys to enjoy, but we didn't really have all the uso stuff back then. In short 'sakto lang'. And that's how they are with my little one too, though with her, they are willing to spend more. Hehe.



Well, early December 2013 my Dad told me she will take K out to shop for her Christmas gift. He wanted her to make the choice so he's sure it's something she really likes. So off we went to Glorietta where there was an ongoing toy sale by Toys R' Us. I left K with my mom and dad while hubby and I met up with our financial adviser at a nearby coffee shop.

I was super excited as to what my little darling would choose as a Christmas gift. She's been seeing a lot of toys on Nick Jr., and tells us she wants them for Christmas. We already got her one of them, so I was thinking she might choose either the Lalaloopsy Dolls (which I think costs more than 1500 pesos) or the electric car she's been eyeing (which was errr, more than 5,000 I think). My Dad did say he will buy what she chooses - but hmmm, I didn't exactly want him to max out his card.

When they finally arrived at the coffee shop, I saw my little darling carrying a small Toys R Us package. Hmmm, I was so curious I got the package from her hand (low EQ kind of mommy. hahahaha) without waiting for her to give it to me. It contained a Play-Doh popsicle maker, which I think costs around 500 pesos. I was actually a bit surprised, because this wasn't amongst her 'I-want-this-toy' list, and was actually relatively inexpensive given that she had a no-limits budget from her lolo.

I was astounded when Dad told me the story.

K was going around the lanes of toys at the store. There were loooots of them. She ogled Lalaloopsies, Baby Alives, etc. etc. The Play-Doh popsicle set caught her eye, so she got the box while they continued to look around. K asked her lolo, "Lolo, mahal ba 'to?" and my dad answered no. My dad also pointed out some kind of expensive toys to her that he thought she'd like, but she said no.  He said "Ok, are you sure that's the toy you want?", pointing to the box she was holding. K answered, "Yes lolo. Sabi ni Mama, dapat mura lang ang bili. Wag expensive." 

Amazing. I didn't think that the 'toy shopping' lesson I taught her would stick like that. What I do with her when we are in the toys department is to tell her that if she wants to really buy a toy, it should be mura lang (inexpensive). So we would end up getting something worth only 50 pesos to a 120 at most. I felt so proud that even if I wasn't there to enforce the rule, and even if she knew Lolo would buy her anything she wants - she stuck to the idea. Definitely a proud mommy moment. :)

How about you mommies? How do you handle your kids' toy shopping needs and wants?