Generous Children

My children currently range between the ages of 25 and 10.  One girl, two boys.  From time to time they, the boys especially, have come home with a toy and said some kid at school gave it to them.   It may be a Matchbox car, a Pokemon card or a McDonald's trinket, but the revelation always releases a flood of questions from me:

• Are you sure they meant for you to keep it?
• Are you supposed to bring it back tomorrow?
• What did you give them in return?

To which the answers are always:  yes, no, nothing.

I've always lived a middle class lifestyle.  We've always had enough.  Sometimes a little more than enough - but we always lived like it was just enough.  Frugality is a fun hobby for me.  On top of that, I'm a bit of the sentimental sort.  


So the idea that a child will just randomly give away their toys is so foreign to me.  I always wonder if their parent knows they gave it away and if they did know would they care.  What if that was the Matchbox car that used to belong to their grandfather?  What if the Pokemon card was actually pilfered from an older sibling?  What if the mom drove past five other McDonald's just to get to the McDonald's that was selling that particular Minion because she knew it was the one that would complete her child's set?

My children have always had more than enough toys.  Sometimes I'd wished and begged they would get rid of stuff.  But more than once they've wanted to get rid of something to which I said, "But that was your first...".  I even have a collection of the most sentimental stuff in the back closet hoping to pass it down one day to my grandchildren (if I live that long).  At the same time I am aware that they may not see the value in it that I do.  They may not have the memories of their first Little Tikes car like I can remember watching them play with it.

I am fully aware that there is no monetary value in sentimental value.  Sometimes you hit on something "classic" or "antique" but even then you have to find just the right buyer to get the financial value out of it.

The other side of this coin that I always contemplate is - what does it say about my children that they are willing to take somebody's hand-offs.  I mean, I've taught them never to turn down a free meal - but a free used toy is a completely different matter.