Childhood dreams

Do you remember your favorite toy when you were a child? Everyone had that one special toy, that was their favorite, that they took everywhere, or wore out from years of love and play. For me are a couple that stand out. I had a stuffed turtle, he was about 2 feet across and purple. His back(shell) was a soft vinyl. I loved that turtle. I still have him. One of his eyes is half gone, and his fur is wearing thin in many places, but he brings back so many memories. The other was a stuffed elephant. She is pink, and handmade, either knit or crocheted. Her name is Ellie Phant. Original, huh? I didnt drag her everywhere with me when I was a girl, because it was her job to look after my room and all the other toys while I was gone. My oldest two children both played with her, but now she has a place of honor on my bedroom dresser.
Some other favorites were dolls, particularily my Chrissy doll, who's hair could 'grow', my barbies and all my board games. I loved games. Still do.
Then there is the toy you always wanted but never had. Oh sure, Billy next door had it, and cousin Sara had it, but not you. For me there were a few of those. One was the Operation game. Another was an etch-a-sketch. Actually pretty much any board game that I didnt have, I wanted. And a barbie car. I always wanted a barbie car.
This little trip down memory started because I was directed by a friend to this site which has a virtual etch-a-sketch. Such fun for a girl like me who always wanted one and never had one. http://www.etch-a-sketch.com/html/onlineetch.htm It's fun. Almost like the real thing.
Things sure have changed. When I was a girl, toys were like gold. I had what the average kid had as far as quantity of toys. They were well looked after and they all fit in my closet and on the shelves in the play room. My parents worked really hard to provide all that we had. We knew that. And we valued our toys accordingly.
Now I look at my kids. Their toys spilled out of their closets and toy boxes and off the shelves. We threw something away every so often because lack of care had left it broken. A new toy is received, played with for one day and then never seen again. Lost in the sea of toys. Josh and Lexi didnt have that many toys that they couldnt play with them all. They just never put anything away without a fight. Sammantha has so many toys, that many of them are in perfect condition from lack of play. When she and Darin moved from Minnesota to Washington, Darin brought only half of her stuffies (3 large garbage bags full) and about 3/4 of her toys. Still she has more than she can play with. We can go downstairs and pack up a couple of boxes of her toys, and she wouldnt even notice. We do this every so often, but every Christmas and birthday she gets so many new toys (NOT from us I might add) that she just can't possibly play with them all. She has no idea how to hope, dream and pray for that wonderful new toy. In fact, most birthdays and Christmas, she doesnt even know what to ask for. Thankfully, though, she is, by personality and upbringing, not a demanding spoiled brat. Quite opposite. She is sweet girl who just has way too many toys.
The thing is, that this is not uncommon. I know so many families where their children have no idea what is like to hope and wish and anticipate that special new toy, because they already have it, or know they will get. They have to invest in special storage systems just to keep the toys under control. Why?
Why do parents do it? My theory is twofold. Firstly, our society dictates that we need to have the best, newest, brightest of everything and that is how you measure success. And we are sheep, and buy right into it. Secondly, guilt. So many parents spoil their children with stuff as if it buys off their guilt. Guilt for being a single parent, or guilt for both parents working, or whatever. (My children got more toys when I was a single parent than they ever did before or after that time period.)
The fact is that when parents spoil a child with stuff, they are perpetuating the rules that society wants us to believe. Satan must love that. I'm sure it was he who influenced our society to become this way in the first place.
Our "stuff" has become false idols of our time. Wouldnt it be wonderful if we could learn to let go of our desire for more, bigger, faster, shinier, newer, prettier stuff? While adults have to figure out how to do that on their own, its the parents job to help the children learn what is really important in life.
I only hope and pray that we can break the cycle in our family, so that our children, and our children's children can know that feeling of receiving that one special item they have been hoping and waiting for.