(no subject)

[mereilin]

Anyone else remember Scholastic Book Club as a source of inexpensive paperback books (I'm old enough that we're talking about pocket change)? When did it become a toy catalogue? Sure, there are still a few paperbacks -- and there's usually one or two books for 95 cents (it should be noted that these are NEVER books that Daniel is interested in reading) -- but every month the school sends home not one but two "book orders" (because third grade apparently walks the line between early readers and young readers) that invariably include $12 kits to make your own (insert item here). Or toys that tie in to popular books. Or activities. Or, best of all, clubs to join that pick your pocket of $5 to $10 every month to deliver more stuff to the house that in our case ends up broken or stepped on or otherwise not cared for.

There's a new one every time I turn around. I want Danny to read. I want him to experiment and try new things. I don't have an extra $20-$50 every month to make this possible. We have a library. We have the Internet. We have a basement FULL of interesting stuff to take apart or otherwise experiment with. Please God no more STUFF.

And yet it breaks my heart to tell him no. Today he actually started counting out his stash of coins when I told him I wasn't going to give him $13.00 to build his own remote lamp control. (No, that's not a lot of money but I'm willing to bet we've spent over $100 on Scholastic orders since September. Enough.) Meanwhile, the bit of homework that's due every Friday was done half-assed at the last moment and his "book report" shows zero effort even though he read the book and did extra research on the Internet. Also he forgot it was "crazy hat" day at school until he got to the bus stop.

At least he got to the bus stop before the bus, but only because we fed him and packed his backpack and hounded him until he was dressed and ready to go.

This is the same kid who sits right down after school and immediately completes the worksheets in his homework folder before he asks to watch TV or play computer games. The kid who (sometimes) does his own laundry. The kid who is usually awake and dressed and downstairs before his father and I have even managed to peel our eyes open.

Oh, right. I was ranting about Scholastic. I guess that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Argh.

Comments

[kaesiah.livejournal.com]

It is ridiculous! I got into that 10 a month trap with Asiah. and now I have to cancel the order because she is too mature for the stuff.

[htnatch.livejournal.com]

This was going on when my kids were in school, so who knows how long ago they started it. I ended up giving them a lecture on books vs. toys and the use of libraries. I also eventually gave them budget to spend when it was book buying time, and they had to give away one book for every one they bought.

[desyana.livejournal.com]

I DO remember when it was about inexpensive books.
My kids started getting the cross-over stuff when they were in grammer school (or elementary, if you prefer .. Showing my age here..:>)
But they had to earn the books each month and I only allowed books.

It's a shame they feel they have to sell toys to kids to keep their attention ..:<

Just say no and keep using the library and other sources.

[etain.livejournal.com]

I remember those things. The books were kind of over-priced when we got them, but it was still mostly books.

[faiiacy.livejournal.com]

I thought it was still books. It still was when my kids were.....kids.

They weren't necessarily cheap, but they were books just the same. And we bought a shitload of them, especially for Lisa.

[virginia-belle.livejournal.com]

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that they started getting into the tie-in toys. It was all books when I was in school, though. I still remember that we were limited to a certain number of books per Scholastic order and if we wanted more, we had to work for them. You have no idea how many dishes I washed for those books when I was in 2nd-7th grade!

B.

[luvtbs.livejournal.com]

My favorites are the ones where that have Playstation, DS, and GameBoy games you can order.

We have stopped doing the book order forms and only let the kids buy the four times a year that the book fair comes to school.

[sashafenn.livejournal.com]

I'd turn it into an incentive. Every time he does a good piece of homework, drop a marble in a jar with lines drawn around the sides. If when book order time comes around he has got enough marbles up to the first line, he can order a book. If he hasn't got enough, tough, he will have to add those marbles to the ones he earns before the next order. If he does so well that the marbles go up to two lines he gets to order two books.
Marbles could be used to reward him for other things too - praise from his teacher (directly to you), a good piece of work produced in school that his teacher wants you to see, etc. Just don't make it an emormous jar. Make the rewards achievable. And trust me.. the sound of a marble plopping into the jar is a huge incentive. :)