Eyes big as saucers, looking on the technicolor array of candy goodness at Dylan’s Candy Bar in New York City, I had to remind myself that I was the responsible adult.
It was so tempting to fill bags and bags of candy to take home.
Fortunately, the kids and I had had a talk before entering the store. I’d agreed to take them to the places that they wanted to visit in NYC during the Winter Break Week – Dylan’s and Nintendo World Store. In exchange, they had to visit “educational” sites with a minimum of fuss, and they had to limit their spending to their available savings.
The spending limit forced the kids to make choices about their purchases all through the week. Mostly, they deferred buying items so that they could save it for shopping at Dylan’s and Nintendo on the last day of the trip.
Having set a spending limit for each child, as their role model, I had to set a good example in the candy store. I couldn’t just buy everything in sight. That would have undermined their restraint.
It wasn’t easy to show good judgment in a store stocked with three floors chock full of every kind of candy imaginable. Displaying temperance in the face of sweet temptation may just be one of the biggest challenges I have ever faced as a mom.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Sometimes being a responsible adult stinks, doesn’t it? Especially in the candy store! My Achilles heels usually are there – especially near the chocolate – and kitchen gear. There have been times when my 5-year-old’s reminded me that “if it’s not on the list, we’re not buying it.”
I follow the same system with my guys, except we’ve been a little off track lately because they’re still flush from Christmas cash. They didn’t that much — we just don’t get out much. So they haven’t had many tough decisions lately other than the ones I’ve artificially created by letting them take only $2 with them at a time, but when they do it’s kind of neat to see them work through it.
Don’t you love it when the kids remind you of the rules, just when you’d love to forget them altogether?
Omigoodness what adorable children! How did you control yourself? Peeps are my favorite food and that display along would have made me lose my mind.
Wow. So many choices. I wouldn’t even know where to start.
I swear I’ve been to this store! lol – YUMMY!