I wish I had known when I was pregnant with Miss D. how easy it is to find gently used baby gear and toys for a tenth the price of buying new.
I figured this out during Miss D.’s second year, and I tried to make up for lost time. When she was about Belly’s age, I wanted to get her a play kitchen to help her entertain herself while I was cooking. On a Friday, I scanned the newspaper for Saturday yard sale ads. I picked three, but I only needed to hit one. I found a little fridge, stove, and sink for $15.
Miss D., age 15 months(ish), with her yard sale kitchen
Our plastic, secondhand kitchen served us well, but it was time for an upgrade, so we decided to get a BRAND NEW play kitchen for the girls for Hanukkah. This was our big finale gift for the last night. I was excited about the moment of reveal.
All the reviews I read about the set we picked were positive, but several people mentioned needing more than four hours to put the thing together, so Country-Fried Daddy started early. He pried open the two six-foot-long boxes, pulled out the 653 screws and bolts, and began skimming the 26-page direction book three days before we planned to give it to the girls.
You know where this is going, right?
Miss D. found the half-assembled kitchen two days ahead of schedule. She came running down the hall screaming, “I saw my present! I saw my present!”
I panicked. I was so looking forward to her surprise on the last night. I had to preserve that, apparently at any cost.
So I told her the new kitchen was for charity, for one of the kids we had shopped for who would otherwise not have much for Christmas.
Looking back, this was perhaps not my finest parenting decision.
Miss D. cried, of course. Her lower lip trembled in that way that makes me want to give her ice cream and glue guns and any other off-limits thing she desires. I hugged her, I kissed her, but I did not take back my lie.
“You have so many nice things, Miss D. We should be grateful for what we have.”
And then — a miracle as in olden times — she agreed with me. She wiped her tears, took a deep breath and went off to play.
She didn’t mention the Kitchen That Was Not Hers again.
And when we had the big reveal on the last night of Hanukkah, I got to see the surprise and joy that I was after, the reaction that I had wanted so badly I had lied to my child.
I am not proud of my behavior, but I am so, so proud of hers.
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That made me cry……..thanks, and swell up with pride.
I am proud of you both. What a wonderful reaction and response from Miss D. Perhaps you and Miss D can give the old kitchen to a deserving little girl.
Twitter: countryfried
December 20, 2009 at 10:19 am
The old kitchen is going to school, so Belly will still be playing with it there.
It’s hard to know what to do in a situation like that. I don’t think I could have lied, but at the same time…I would have wanted my son to be excited when he saw his new toy too, so had I been put in that situation….yeah, I might have done the exact same thing. That kitchen is absolutely awesome though. Those girls are going to love it! Actually, I can tell they already do!
What a sweet, sweet, story! And what a beautiful soul your daughter has! You’re doing great mom!
Ok, I laughed. Because I totally would have lied to my child too!
That is one awesome kitchen! It makes me jealous, so I best not show the boys.