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With the holiday season in full swing and parents making choices for what to buy their children, it is time to stop and think about what you are buying. As a parent it is frustrating enough walking in to any store and finding all the “must have” toys are either $49.99 or $99.99. First what kind of message are we sending when we buy toys that cost that much? Why must we stretch ourselves to the limit to satisfy our child’s wishes. Will we really be a bad parent if we don’t give in and chase all over town for the hot new toy?

The price of toys has just gotten out of hand. But it goes beyond that. Toys plus accessories. It is bad enough paying $49.99 for something but then to have to buy another $100 worth of accessories to go with it. Isn’t it exciting that all these items can be expanded with “addons”. The list goes on and on--video game players need games, dolls need accessories, “collect the whole set!” Lego sets for $100, dvd collections, ipods need itunes downloads.

First case in point, the new Flypen. It is a computer pen that retails for $69.00. I guess it can do all sorts of things as long as you have the “flypaper” “flygames” and all the other “fly” stuff. Is a gadget worth it if you have to buy special paper? Second case in point. As I was walking through the toy isle at Target, I saw a Easy Bake Oven on sale. Since I have a boy, not something I normally look at. But what really blew me away is all the food mixes you can buy for it. Mac and cheese for $4.95! Please! Teach your child a real lesson, take them to the grocery store and show them how many boxes of mac and cheese you can buy for $4.95. And then buy them and donate them to the local food shelf.

They will always get us coming back for more. This is not something new, it has been going on for a long time and not just in toys. This is why you can buy a $100 printer for your computer and the replacement ink is $79.00. You go to buy a new car and the extras drive up the price a few more thousand. Upgrade, addons and extras are draining our pocketbooks. What a wonderful life lesson you can teach your child to explain if they buy that item, all the extra things they will need to buy to go with it. Teach them that they will probably get bored with that $100 toy after a short time.

The best gift you could give your child this holiday season is the gift of time. Buy something you and your child can do together. Buy a $100 worth of art or craft materials for projects you can work on together. Take your child to the store and have them pick out toys for children who don’t have any and then drop them off at Toys for Tots. Buy a family season pass to your local zoo or museum. Save money for a family vacation or even a weekend in a hotel with a pool. As parents we don’t need to fall for the must have, hot, way overpriced toys. We can say no. Teach them now so someday they will know how to say no to what will probably be the $500 toys for their children.

One more thing--batteries not included.