Thrifty Mommy » children’s activity

Should you buy from toy scalpers?

Jennifer Chait — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:00:17 +0000

Yesterday we looked at toy scalpers and why toy scalping is wrong. Not everyone agreed but that’s fine. Today we’re looking at the question of if you should you buy from toy scalpers?

As noted yesterday, my son actually wants a popular toy this year. However, it’s been bought up by scalpers which is currently the only way to get one, which brings up the whole should you buy from scalpers question.

Plenty of parents will buy from scalpers. Take the Zhu Zhu issue this holiday season. Parents are paying terribly marked up prices to get their hands on one of these but is that a good idea? I don’t think so. Scalping may not be an actual crime but as I pointed out yesterday it is wrong or at the very least shady. If you don’t agree read Dave Van Domelen’s take on the issue.

Why parents buy from scalpers…

Because they want to make their kid’s holiday special.
Because they feel their child has been good and deserves the toy.
Because it’s easy to rationalize that your child should get the gift they want, especially if they only asked for one toy.

Personally I won’t buy from a scalper. The toy my son wanted, the one you can only get from scalpers, he won’t be getting this Christmas, even though I do think my son is amazing. He’s a great kid who rarely asks for popular or pricey toys. However, I don’t agree with buying from scalpers because…

Scalpers are in business because consumers will buy from them. If you buy from them you feed their need and make scalping a lucrative endeavor. Stop buying from a scalper and guess what they won’t do – scalp.
Buying toys from scalpers supports the companies who create a buzz then only release so many of an item to create an even bigger buzz. I get that companies can’t always know which products will be the most popular, but they’ve been in the biz long enough to have a good general idea.
This is not what the holidays are about. Getting stuff or even that one most wanted toy is not (or should not be) the primary objective of the holidays at my house. It’s nice to get things you like, but this society is so consumer driven that it’s taken away a lot of meaning from the holidays. I don’t want to celebrate like that.
My ethics and issues will be passed down to my son whether I like it or not. As parents we all pass down values to our kids. If I’m really against something – i.e. scalping, using plastic bags, hitting, what have you, how does it look if I partake in these things?

Well, if you aren’t going to buy from scalpers what should you do?

I’ve been talking to my son about money from the time he was very small. Would he buy a marked up toy with his own money? After I talked to him about the issue it turns out that no, he wouldn’t. This is one benefit to talking about budget issues with your kids from an early age. When tough subjects come up they can handle it. I told my son exactly what’s up with the situation. I explained what scalpers are, how the toy companies only release so many items, and also explained that the toy he wants could cost at least $100 more than what it normally would. Although Cedar did want the toy at first we also discussed other things he might like instead and he’s not upset.

He’s almost nine years old, so I have the luxury of having a child who is old enough to talk to vs. a toddler who won’t understand scalping at all. However, even with young kids you should be discussing commercialism issues. From a young age our kids are hit hard with commercials for all sorts of goods, and as a parent it’s your job to tackle the issue.

You can also talk to your kids about waiting. After the holidays that toy may come back in stock, and he can get it then when it’s a normal price. I told my son this and he said he’d be happy with looking for the toy he wanted after the holidays. Last year my boyfriend couldn’t find a retail priced Wii for his daughters, so he cut out a picture of one, pasted it in a card, and gave it to them, saying that when it came back on the shelves they’d get one. His girls were happy with that.

Some people I’ve talked to think I’m being mean because I won’t buy him the one toy he wants from a scalper one individual even said it was mean of me to ruin the holiday just because I won’t buy from a scalper.

If it truly would ruin the holidays just because my son doesn’t get a specific toy, I’d seriously have to wonder if I’ve been teaching my son the wrong meaning of the season, which in my opinion is spending time with family and friends not scoring the perfect gift. With that in mind my son’s holiday is not ruined. We’ll still be hanging out with family and pals doing fun stuff and he’s excited about that.

Lastly I want my son to have ethics and money smarts and if I don’t discuss the hard issues with him who will? Hopefully he’ll grow up as someone who doesn’t scalp, has ethics, and wants to manage his money well. It’s my job to teach him all of the above so no matter what other people think I am happy with my decision.

What is your take on buying from toy scalpers? Good idea for deserving kids or is it feeding unethical or at the very least, gray area behavior?

[image via stock.xchng]

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Will you buy from toy scalpers?

Jennifer Chait — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:07:54 +0000

Personally I think toy scalpers are totally lame. I haven’t had too many problems with them since my son tends to want less popular holiday gifts overall and as a parent concerned with toxins and toy safety I tend to stick to green gifts which most toy scalpers avoid.

However this year I did run into issues. My son asked for just one toy this year and the toy company who released it allowed 5 per customer, as did many stores, so scalpers bought them up, which frankly I didn’t expect so I didn’t buy one back in September or October (like I should have). The toy, originally around $50 is now sold out everywhere but is all over the web for sale via greedy scalpers for $85, $100, and more. I’ve seen this particular toy for as much as $150 on eBay.

Ah now that’s the holiday spirit.

In case you’re wondering – toy scalpers research toys at the start of toy season, buy up a bunch of what they assume will be a popular toy, sometimes going from store to store (as most stores have limits) then when the product is sold out the scalpers sell them to parents at dramatically raised prices.

I’ve heard the arguments FOR scalpers over the years but I don’t agree with them, for example…

It’s the only way to make money – what if the scalper has a family to support? Um, get a real job. Trust me as a parent, I’ve been down and out but I’m not going to buy toys kids want and then sell them to kid’s parents at a double markup. If you have kids and need to support them, maybe a job is in order?

BUT there are no jobs and scalpers have just found a clever way to make money. Smart? Or greedy and lazy? Is ruining the holidays for some kids a nice alternative for folks who don’t know how to get a real job? There’s such a thing as being smart enough to get a real job, and trust me, even in this economy I know many people who have recently gotten new jobs so this excuse doesn’t work for me.

Scalpers are smarter than you because they acted faster. Well, people with jobs are at work, not out looking for toys. People with kids are busy and I don’t think it’s fair to say that scalpers are smarter just because they have better timing.

It’s not like it’s illegal. Nope it’s not. Unless the merchandise is counterfeit or stolen toy scalping is perfectly ok according to current laws. However there’s such a thing as ethics and karma.

It’s the toy company’s fault not the scalper’s. Partially. I totally agree with the assessment that toy companies only release just so many of an item to one, create buzz, and two to make sure they can make the most money possible. Is that right? Probably not. Will I buy from a toy company who creates a large buzz then seemingly, knowingly, releases very few of an item? Not likely. That’s just as lame as scalping but you can’t just blame toy companies because scalping is still wrong. If a toy company jumped off a bridge would all the scalpers?

Only rich parents buy from scalpers anyhow – why should we care if the parents of spoiled kids have to pay more? Not true. I know plenty of families with great kids who simply want a popular toy. Why we should assume only rich kids want toys is beyond me. Some kids from families who are struggling want popular toys too, but at scalper prices they may not get them.

Now all that said, it sucks to be the parent of a child who only asks for one toy and that toy happens to be one of the scalped items of the holiday season. With that in mind, tomorrow we’ll look at the following question…

Should you buy from scalpers? I’ll tell you right now that my answer is no, but we’ll look at why that is tomorrow.

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KidsPark Less Expensive Child Care

Jennifer Chait — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:53:20 +0000

During the holidays it can be tough to find a trusted sitter, and worse sitter’s rates have seemingly gone up and up in recent years. Coming to some parent’s rescue are KidsPark national child-care centers.

KidsPark centers offer day, evening and weekend care for children ages 2-11 and is open almost each and every day of the year with parent schedule friendly hours – they’re open from 8 am to 10 pm Monday through Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. KidsPark also offers recession conscience prices (about $7.50 per hour) so most families can afford it. There’s no reservation needed – families register once and they’re in the KidsPark system.

Safety - KidsPark exceeds state licensing requirements with an average teacher-child ratio of 1:8. At all times, no matter the number of children present there are two staff on site. If a child needs one-on-one attention, another teacher is available to the group.

All KidsPark staff is:

Certified in First Aid and CPR
Screened by the Department of Justice
Trained in Early Childhood Education and Recreation
Required to attend staff development and skill building workshops

KidsPark offers lots of hands-on projects, art projects, games and a pretty slick calendar of seasonal special events. Additionally, various areas for different activities are designated at each center. Such as…

Creation Station – for art, cooking, hands-on-science and more.
Activity Area – where kids can play individually or in group with toys, play pretend in the playhouse or investigate the book nook.
Mountain of Energy – an active minded structure that kids can pretend is a mountain, space ship and more.
Theater – an areaused for story times, music, G-rated movies, games and guest performers.
Sport Court – perfect for kids tired of being inside all winter, kids can kick goals, shoot baskets, play 4-square or just enjoy a game of catch.
Blue Crew – a school-age area that encourages interaction with peers. Older kids can learn more detailed art projects, play age appropriate games and non-violent video games or do homework.

The only downside I see to KidsPark is that there are not nearly enough of them. Current locations include Arlington/Texas, Jacksonville/FL, Scottsdale/AZ, Olathe/Kansas and in California – Chico, Northridge, Corona, Fresno, Rocklin, Sacramento, and their pilot centers in San Jose, CA. That said there are also three additional locations opening in the first half of 2010.

If you live in one of the areas with a KidsPark you may want to check them out for holiday care this year while they’re out of school or while you need to holiday shop OR set up a date night with your partner.

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Help little kids to learn about money

Jennifer Chait — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:22:15 +0000

Little kids are easily confused by money and money flow. Having an eight year old has made me realize that kids carry many common misconceptions about money include thinking that money will never run out (ah, the ATM just keeps spitting it out), money is only for things like items you can touch not bills like rent or electricity, and that things cost pretty much the same be it a house, an apple, or a toy.

As my son has gotten older he’s really started getting a grasp on money but when he was 7 years and under, he just didn’t get money all that well. Some of us, as parents make many mistakes when dealing with money and kids, so the kids aren’t just to blame. How we can help our youngest kids is to make money more real. Your child may not get it right away but the more you focus on money as a real issue that matters to your child, the more he’ll start to understand. Below are some simple things you can do to teach your little one about money and finances.

Allow your child to be the household coupon clipper. He can even hold onto them at the store and kids 6 and up can be taught to use a calculator to figure how much a 50 cent coupon will save on cereal.
Make your child the king of green (money and planet wise). Have him save bottles in the proper recycling bin then take them back to the store for cash back. If your state doesn’t do this explain how recycling can save you money on your trash bill. You can also put your little one in charge of lights. If he makes sure they stay off when not in use, hopefully you’ll save a little money on your electricity bill. Show your little one the bill amount for last month, then show him the new bill – if you guys saved any money let him have it to spend on a small item.
Put him in charge of the family coin jar. Once it’s full the two of you can take it to the bank or a coin machine, cash them in, and he’ll see how it adds up to paper money. Let him help decide which family fund the savings should go to.

[image via stock.xchng]

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Inexpensive Activities to Do with Your Kids

Karen Weideman — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:18:11 +0000

It’s important to spend time with our children. They’ll only be little for a short while and it’s our job to provide learning opportunities and teaching moments. The problem is, many people associate quality time with expensive outings to the beach, eating out, and theater shows. Finances are tough for many people. There are many activities you can do that cost little to no money.

1. Go to the park.
2. Watch a dvd and eat popcorn.
3. Make pancakes.
4. Make playdough.
5. Play with playdough.
6. Build something with blocks.
7. Play school. Let your child be the teacher.
8. Paint or draw together.
9. Ride bikes.
10. Go for a walk around the neighborhood.
11. Garden together.
12. Visit a neighbor.
13. Do something special for an elderly person such as clean their house, do their errands, cook, or visit.
14. Write a card or letter to someone.
15. Sing songs.
16. Play video games together.
17. Pray for the needy.
18. Make Oobleck.
19. Go through all of the toys and organize them.
20. Visit a farm to pick fruits and vegetables.
21. Have a picnic lunch.
22. Play board games.
23. Create a photo book or scrapbook.
24. Go camping.
25. Tell jokes.

Also, check out these free winter fun ideas. What low cost fun activities can you suggest?

image (c) Karen Weideman

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Plan ahead for recalled toys

Jennifer Chait — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:28:36 +0000

During the holiday season your kids will be scoring quite a lot of goodies I’m guessing, but keep in mind that not all toys or kids gear is totally safe. The first step is to encourage friends and family to buy safe non-toxic toys and other gifts for your kids, but one, people don’t always listen, and two, no toy is foolproof. Poorly made items happen so be prepared by signing up asap for recall information.

Head over to the Consumer Product Safety Commission and sign up for recall information related to toys, baby gear, sports & recreation products, household products, and more. The CPSC makes it terribly easy to sign up for recall info. You can sign up for product recall alerts by…

You can even place recall alerts on your own website or blog. If you don’t want to sign up for recalls you can simply visit their site once a week to learn about all the current recalls. Through CPSC you can also learn about thrift store and used product recalls, listen to recall podcasts, hit them up on Twitter, or even visit their YouTube channel.

CPSC is not the only recall venue though. You can also check out Recall.gov, a site consisting of recall information from six different federal agencies which makes the site a “one stop shop” for U.S. Government recalls.

Poorly made products and toys cause injuries each and every year costing families money, time and heartbreak. This year play it safe from the start so that your family can have a danger-free, jolly holiday – with all the options above there’s really no excuse not to.

[image via stock.xchng]

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35 Plentiful Ideas for Thanksgiving

Karen Weideman — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:41:11 +0000

Thanksgiving is only a week away. I know, I can hardly believe it. To save you some time, I’ve been searching around for great resources for you. There’s a wide variety to choose from. Enjoy!

For the kids:

Decorating and Entertaining:

Recipes and Food Ideas:

Other:

Which ideas do you think you’ll try?

image (c) Linette Gerlach

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Holiday toy safety tips that save money

Jennifer Chait — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:00:17 +0000

Honestly, we all know that the number one reason to be diligent about toy safety is to protect the health of our little ones. However, playing it safe also can save you money. Why? Shoddy toys break easier and if there’s a recall that costs you time as well. Badly made toys aren’t worth the same in terms of life expectancy and quality.

Most of all being safe can save you medical costs. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) notes that in 2007 there were a whopping 232,900 toy related injuries treated in the ER and 73% of those injuries occurred in kids under the age of 15. Worse the injuries reported were not pretty; consisting of issues like lacerations, contusions, and abrasions to the head and face PLUS there were at least 18 toy related deaths reported for the year.

Bad toys cost you plenty so it’s smart to be aware. Following are some tips for this holiday season.

Go non-toxic if you can. A surprisingly large amount of toys contain chemicals and toxins you don’t want near your kids.
Read labels – there’s a reason toys have age limits, it’s for safety. Don’t give a three-year-old a toy for an eight-year-old. Also be aware of kid age differences. For example, if you have a baby and a seven year old with little Lego bricks it’s a recipe for disaster. Make sure your older kids get that the younger kids cannot be around their toys.
Always fill out toy registration cards. If there’s a recall you’ll be glad you did.
Read and save the instructions for all toys.
Be leery of magnet-based toys. The CPSC calls magnets, including the ones found in toys one of the five most overlooked home dangers.
Avoid all shooting toys. Your child’s eyes are extremely fragile, and eye injuries caused by shooting or propelling toys is a common toy related injury.
If you’re buying a bike this year also get a helmet and make sure your child wears it.
Children should be taught to use electronic toys safely; i.e. used away from water sources, they shouldn’t mess with wires or batteries, and if the toy needs to be plugged in or charged, they should be taught how.

To learn more about safe toys visit:

[image via stock.xchng]

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Get kids into the spirit of giving

Jennifer Chait — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:00:55 +0000

For holiday gift giving, kids sometimes need a little push. I’m not a fan of giving gifts galore, but that’s mainly because I’m interested in more meaningful and less expensive holidays. That said, I also think it’s smart to include your child in what gift giving you do participate in, because kids tend to get, get, get during the holidays, so a little giving can go a long way at forming their mindset about the holidays. Also, this creates a good opportunity to discuss money and budgeting issues.

How to pull it off:

Give each child a set budget for gifts. I think it’s best if they use some of their own saved money too – from an allowance or birthday, but I’m not too strict on this because I know my son can’t get a job at eight years old. I usually give him some money and he’ll use $10-20 of his own (a lot for a little kid to give up if you consider the situation from their POV).

Have your child make a list of gift ideas. When Cedar was too little to write he’d draw his gift ideas, now he makes a short list. It’s often really hard for kids to think of gift ideas. Try the following to encourage them…

Go through sale ads in the paper.
Ask the right questions – “What does aunt Susan like to do for fun”, “Do you think your teacher would like homemade cookies or a nice pen?”, “What are your little brother’s favorite types of toys?” Leave the questions open ended so your child can come up with gift ideas on his own.

Have your child write down estimated cost per person before heading to the store – i.e. $10 for dad, $8 for his best friend, and so on.

Encourage meaning over the gift – for example, if your child buys the material for making a homemade picture frame will it be more loved than a flat out purchased gift? Could he help his grandma clean her basement? Get him thinking about how he can make the holiday gifts more meaningful and less $ related.

How do you handle holiday shopping and gifts with the kiddos?

[image via stock.xchng]

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Crafty Birthday Party Fun & Savings

Jennifer Chait — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:40:19 +0000

Birthday parties can be spendy, no doubt about it. It’s crazy how it all adds up because basically there’s not really too many components – food, activity, goodie bags, decor. There’s one way you can combine at least three of the components though and cut costs in the process.

For fun and savings combine the food, activity, and goodie bag components or at least two of each. For example…

Have kids decorate cookies or cupcakes at the party. Set a table out with all the necessary decor items – frosting tubes, little candies, sprinkles, and more. Have kids go at it for the activity, give them a cupcake and juice or fruit for a snack, then send them home with a couple of extra cupcakes each.You can also make cookies with kids and send them home with a cookie cutter and some of the cookies.
Have the kids make homemade play dough, finger paint, or goop then give each a recycled yogurt containers so they can take some home.
Get some recycled cardboard and rubber bands along with some some paint, and let the kids make and decorate small flower presses. Head out into the neighborhood, gather flowers and leaves to press, then send each kid home with their press.
If it’s near a holiday find a suitable holiday craft or two and give kids the tools to make said craft, then they can take them home. For example, for a November or December birthday these recycled pumpkin pie tin ornaments are awesome. For a summer party let kids make solar prints.

Really you can combine many treats and activities that will easily double up as party fun and take home goodness. What else can you think of?

[image via stock.xchng]

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