Featured

Wants versus needs…… a social studies lesson for kids by Paige Scott

Kid #1:  “Mom, I need to get some boxers since I am starting PE this year.  I can’t wear my regular underwear in front of all the other guys.”

Okay, I think I can swing that.

Kid #2:  “Mom, I want an orange Lamborghini.  How much do they cost?”

Well, let’s see……….. if you save everything you ever earn in your whole life, you might be able to buy one and then you can live in it, too.

Kid #3:  “Mom, I need $15 to buy something.”

What do you need $15 for?

“Nicholas told me he would sell me his Bakugan for $15.”

Oh, is that right?  His used Bakugan that originally cost him $4.99?  That’s so thoughtful of him.

Kid #4:  “I need a lollipop.”

Didn’t you just eat 6?

Kid #5:  “I want some red kitty panties.”

Let’s see, we have them in blue, pink, white, purple…………… and oh, I think you have a red pair ON YOUR BODY.

“Mom, we need a new PS2….ours is broken.”        “We need to buy the tae kwon do outfits.  We’re the only one in the class without them.”        “We want to eat Subway today.  You NEVER take us there.”        “Mom…..I need a new backpack.  Mine from last year says Christopher on it.  I want to go by Chris this year.”        “I need a new tutu.”        “I want a new kitty.  Mine lost an ear.”        “I need a new black power ranger.  Someone ate the head off mine.”        “Mom, can we go to Gamestop and get the Civil War game?  It is a teen game BUT it IS the one from the HISTORY CHANNEL!”          “I need new soccer cleats.”        “I want a Barbie.”        “I need more food for my frogs.  Oh, and I need a new frog because one of them died.”        “Mom, I need money to go bowling.  Oh, and some more to buy pizza while I am there.  What, do you want me to starve to death?”        “I need a new iPod.  I can’t find the earphones for mine.”        “Well, I need a new Nintendo.  The top broke off and I had to tape it to play it and it’s not playing right.”            “I need an Icee and one of those big pretzels!”        “I want a fishing pole.”        “I need a new puppy.”        “I want to go to Skeeter’s and play the games and get a new SPongebob toy out of the machine.” 

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHH……….somebody please make them stop!!!!!!   Or at least turn down the volume on them.  Please.  Couldn’t somebody invent that?  A way to turn down the volume on kids’ whining?

“Okay, boys and girls.  We are going to sit down and learn a lesson.  It’s called wants vs. needs.  A  NEED is something that you have to have. A WANT is something you would like to have.  Everybody got it?”

Five blank faces staring up at me.  Hmmm, okay, let’s approach this a different way.  “Everybody listen up, I am going to tell you all a story.” 

Once upon a time in a faraway land, there lived a beautiful princess.  She was the fairest of them all, the prettiest, the richest and also the skinniest.   Ahem…..well, maybe she wasn’t all those things but let’s just say she was a nice girl with big dreams.  She met her prince charming and he swept her away to very nice places where she stayed in very nice hotels, usually Ritz Carltons. He bought her fancy dinners, fancy jewelry, nice cars, designer purses, name-brand clothing and gave her a big house with expensive furnishings.  She didn’t really need all these things.  It’s that they had the means to do all this so she came to want all of this.

As the years passed, the princess grew accustomed to this lifestyle.  She had people to help her with cleaning, laundry, the yard and the pool.  She could afford to call in a handyman to fix anything that was broken since her prince was not very handy at those kinds of things.  She really didn’t need all these people helping her, but she wanted their help since she could afford it. 

Then her life took a different turn when she got knocked up with five kids in six years.  It was not a bad thing that she had all these kids, just different, WAY DIFFERENT.  Especially for the princess since she was not that domestic, didn’t cook that well, didn’t like to wait on people (she liked to be waited on) and didn’t even know if she wanted children in the first place.  But life happens and so the princess adapted to all these little people who were so demanding and were constantly needing and wanting things from her.  Some days, she wanted to take off on the quickest flight out of town, or horse, or whatever princesses ride to get out of town.  But she knew she needed to care for all these little people, so she still had hired help to help her care for them.

Then one day her prince called her and told her that they didn’t have their fortune anymore and that the people who ruled the land had helped take it away.  She wanted desperately not to believe him, but she came to realize that she needed to take his advice and stop spending money and start saving.  Did the princess do this?  Well, she tried so hard to stop spending altogether.  But those silly couriers kept delivering her these catalogs advertising the new, must-have shoes of the season.  Or the newest face cream from Sephora that could make her look 15 years younger.  Then there were the clothing catalogs with the killer sales, the home décor catalogs with the perfect rug for the powder bath and the outdoor curtains she had to buy to shield her precious offspring from the harmful effects of the sun.  Then there was the dress she HAD to get to go to Vegas, I mean “the ball,” and the GoSmile tooth whitening system from Sephora so that her teeth would look whiter next to her weekly spray tans, and the sno-cone machine to provide her children with  some cold treats during the blistering summer sun.  Now all these things were not needs necessarily and the princess realized that they were actually all wants, especially when she received her Amex bill. 

Then came the swim lessons, the tae kwon do lessons complete with the uniforms, the guitar lessons along with the new guitar and metronome, the ballet lessons plus the new leotards, tutus and ballet shoes.   Oh, and let’s not forget the soccer registrations and all the soccer gear.  Then the circus came to town and the prince and princess had to take their sweet little children to that since it had become a tradition every year.  The tickets alone were $210 and then once inside the children were parched so 2 of them got sno-cones for $15 each (of course that included the collector cups) and 3 of them bought the cotton candy for $12 each (and of course those included the circus top hats made from flimsy cardboard.)  They wanted the little whirlygig things that light up, but the princess put an immediate HALT to those since they were selling for $24 each and tried to tell the kids they really didn’t need those.  That was until both 3 years olds started throwing a tantrum and the princess caved in to shut them up, so in that instance, a want actually turned into a need.

Then the children starting whining because they technically had not had a summer vacation (although joining the community pools, the YMCA and being members at a country club don’t count towards summer fun) so the prince and princess decided to rent a beach house, waterfront of course so that the little darlings wouldn’t have to go far to get to the water.  The prince and princess really didn’t want to spend that much on a beach house, but they had waited so late to book it that they needed to spend that much.  Then the princess realized that they would need all new beach toys, fishing gear and probably all new swimsuits and beach towels as well.

And let’s not forget the new bikes the children needed, the new helmets they also needed, the Barbie ride-on Mustang the girls wanted ….so the princess thought she would be money-wise and purchase it used off Craigslist.  Never mind that it says “Chloe” on the back (the princesses daughter’s names are Lillie and Sophie.)  Then there’s the new Ripstick for Samuel that he wanted, the books the kids needed for their required summer reading (they tried the library but the books they needed were all checked out), the bowling outings they wanted, the movies and popcorn and snacks and drinks they all wanted……………..and I think I will save the lesson on the food bill for another day.

“So boys and girls, I hope you have enjoyed your lesson on wants vs. needs.  Do any of you have any questions?”

“Mommy, I really want to go to the bathroom but I don’t really need to anymore since I just pooped my pants.” 

AHA!  I think I taught them something!