I left the grocery store feeling rattled. All that fuss over a few plastic toys. But it wasn’t over nothing and I was irritated with myself that I had behaved thoughtlessly.
It’s that time of the year when supermarkets compete for business by enticing kids with “free” plastic toys. Parents are nagged into spending X amount in order to satisfy their child’s desire to collect them all. Nothing beats the thrill of the mystery, the surprise. Which one will it be?!
It all started at the checkout. It was One-Child-Friday (the other two were at school!) and we had completed our tour of the grocery store. I’d spent more than necessary on supplies and acquired six Ooshies. A multiple of three so each child would receive an equal number. Oh, happy day!
We were about to leave the shop incident-free when I overheard a conversation between the shop assistant and another customer:
“Is it okay if I give them to the little girl?”
“Oh, I would LOVE to give them to the little girl but I really don’t believe in the proliferation of plastic.”
The lady had obviously declined her “free” plastic toys and the lovely shop assistant thought my daughter might like them. This thoughtful gesture had met unexpected resistance.
Suddenly, I felt the need to get involved. I mean, she had used the word “proliferation”. I almost had to Google on the spot. Really, if you’re going to get on your soapbox, at least take a second to assess the audience. She was dealing with a toddler and a checkout lady whose first language was not English.
I hurriedly pointed out to my fellow shopper that the wrappers are, in fact, made of paper so the toys aren’t as bad as previous years. Meanwhile, the shop assistant was also trying to justify why she should share her portion. It all got a bit awkward and the lady eventually waved her hand in resignation and said,
“Just give them to her.”
We’d scored five extra Ooshies (but sadly not a multiple of six). I walked out slightly uneasily but with a beaming toddler.
I began to feel awful after a few minutes of reflection. The lady clearly had strong convictions about the toys. I had bullied her into going against her values. Part of me argued the toys are made anyway so why not let the kids enjoy them? But it wasn’t good enough justification.
What struck me was my own lack of principles in the face of something I would have scorned at a few years ago. I too believe we are destroying the Earth with plastic. Yet, I don’t think twice about accepting plastic items if it brings a smile to my kids’ faces.
The lady was right. It is totally unnecessary plastic proliferation (noun, the growth or production of cells by multiplication of parts). I used to care deeply about this stuff. Now I just do whatever it takes to get through another day with my sanity partly intact.
I wonder if there is a stage in parenthood when you rediscover the part of yourself that once cared about social justice issues. Does there come a day when you find spare hours to think, sleep or eat in peace? Perhaps I have just made too many excuses. Maybe I haven’t prioritised the things that are genuinely important.
Either way, I wish I could go back to the shop and tell the customer she was right. I would decline her portion of plastic proliferating toys and walk out with my head held high.
What are your thoughts on the “free” items given out at grocery stores? Love them? Hate them? Tell us in the comments!
Great blog. We have not come across this toy give out here, but I do fairly sometimes acquire plastic toys from magazines and chocolate etc…they are only played with for 30 secs generally. They either break or get forgotten down a sofa….small wooden toys would be so much more appealing for so many reasons…but I guess brings a different set of problems supply and expense wise.
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I know those magazine toys well! It’s such a tricky one. My kids do actually play with the toys but eventually, they will forget about them and it’s off to landfill. I need to check down our sofa, especially as I’m about to sell it! Haha.