SUBMARINE

He watched an episode of Justin Time. (I love this kid appropriate show. I included a clip below.) He saw Justin with a remote control submarine. James wanted one really bad. He wanted one for his birthday. I told him no. This little boy gets most of things he wants. He is far more spoiled than Sierra or Madison were at his age. I bought him a cheap remote control bulldozer from Walmart for his birthday. He was happy but he really wanted a submarine. He talked about it all time. He begged to watch advertisements, for remote control submarines, on YouTube. He had been saving quarters for doing his chores. I told him that if he saved up enough I would let him buy his submarine. 

He asked every day if he could do a chore and get a quarter. He asked every day if he could count his quarters. He cried every time I told him he didn't yet have enough money. I was determined he was going to save up every last penny to purchase it on his own. (Frankly, James has enough remote controls and toys I don't need anymore in my house.) I am the Justice side of our marriage with our children. Nate kept slipping him quarters behind my back. He is the Mercy side of our marriage. The day finally arrived, he saved the money for his submarine. 

I went into purchase it and the toy wasn't a lot, but the shipping was a lot. This wasn't an amazon purchase people. The tax added up. I told him, "Well, I guess we need to keep saving, because we have to pay the mail guy to bring it to us." He was sad, but okay. Nate overheard our conversation and said, "Lisa, pay the shipping!" I said, "I am trying to teach a principle of hard work." He said, "I think he has worked hard enough." His dad is a little more tenderhearted than I. We bought it. He made me check the mailbox everyday until it came. 

When it arrived, he squealed and was so elated. Then he broke down trying to get it out of the box. I told him to wait till his dad got home and he could help him figure out how to work it, but that wasn't going to happen. I think yesterday I spent the whole day navigating melt downs. Melt downs over it not charging fast enough. Melt downs over draining the bathtub before he was done playing. Melt downs over the propeller coming off because he was trying to work it out of the water. Melt downs because dad wasn't coming home fast enough. 

Dad came home last night and let him ride his submarine in the hot tub. This morning first thing he wanted to ride it around the hot tub again. He drove it until the battery died and dad said he had to take it inside to charge. He was fine until his dad left for work. Then he melted down again. He wanted to ride it in the tub but it hadn't fully charged yet. The moral of this story is even if your children want to really bad, don't let them buy toys that aren't age appropriate.   

He does love it and he did work hard. He takes care of all his remote control things. He has them lined up under his bed and he is very careful with them. The remote control helicopter I bought him for Christmas is still intact and he still plays with it almost daily, which is surprising because even though it is made for kids, it isn't solid. I have had to glue the propeller a few times but overall he has been really responsible with it. He really cares about his things. He takes really good care of his stuff. Still.....the melt downs are a little much.