General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Woman visits Toys R Us, pays off everyone's layaway. [View all]tblue37
(65,226 posts)Last edited Mon Dec 15, 2014, 10:58 PM - Edit history (1)
hi-tech toys and gadgets wasn't necessary to fit in and not be sneered at.
But it is in many ways rougher these days for kids who are poor. I deplore the pervasiveness of materialism and greed, but if a parent wants to save up to get a kid one nice toy for Christmas, or put the toy on layaway and pay it off as he or she can, then I can't fault that parent.
I do, however, deplore the notion that just because someone is poor, that person should never think of spending a cent on anything not absolutely necessary for survival. Sure, poor people--and everyone, really--should not be careless, wasteful, or extravagant with money, but I actually don't see that financial carelessness much among those in tight circumstances. What I do see is a lot of clever workarounds, heroic efforts, and responsible attempts to provide both basic necessities and some extra quality of life for their beloved children, often at great sacrifice for the parent.
That layaway payoff story is *still* giving me warm Christmas feelings, even so many days after I first read about it!