you can get cheaper jeans and get them tailored to fit like you want!

JasmineFire said:

Heck yes!

sag10 said:

It's the "back to school" shopping... ...and apparently two of her friends already own these jeans, and bought them at regular price...lol

The good thing is, though, that she seems to already acknowledge how ridiculous a price they are...there are no tantrums, moodiness or "You never get me anything!" rants...lol...she's an extremely levelheaded kid. But it still doesn't keep her from wanting to have a pair like her friends do.

Byron said:

My goal is to provide for my child the same way I would provide for myself and at the same time give to others.

In addition to donating clothing/toys/whatever things of mine that I no longer need or use, I also donate money and have donated my time to worthy causes - something that I hope my son will do as well when he is old enough.

And it's not like I don't buy inexpensive things as well. I buy whatever I like...some of it is expensive and some of it is not.

I don't think the point is to judge her for wanting expensive clothes. . . most of us have things we care about that other people might not appreciate. It's just a learning opportunity.

And there's nothing wrong with giving kids special treats, IMHO. . . it's all about the context and expectations.

I'm not into the debating all the aspect of this ...

i have much respect for peoples views and the ways they choose to raise theri kids

I am interested in BYRON'S choice and his reasons for them and his daughter's reaction



there is no right or wrong with it ... no matter what the choice

i just want to sahre life experience with Byron

Byron said:

That's cute. Does she normally text message you, or was that partly 'cause she knew the price was a little nutty?

Byron said:

Absolutely! I would feel the same if I were her.

I love a child who asks, and understands. You are very fortunate to have each other.

Mach said:

I'll let you know after we go shopping...lol

Byron said:

cool ... could you buy me a spell checker while you are out

when i was a kid, i threw a hissy because i wanted a colecovision RIGHT NOW.

so. my mom sat me down and told me if i saved up half the cost of it with my allowance money, she'd match it. and so i did. and so she did. and i got my colecovision, and it was the first "big" thing i'd ever (contributed toward) buying with my own money...even if "my" money was technically allowance money from my mom.

maybe do something like that? if a kid has to put up some of the cost, they can understand the value of $200 pants.

HereToRockYourWorld said:

We text message daily, usually... ...It's cute seeing her innocent spelling mistakes...lol I'll leave one for her when she wakes up (and sometimes she does the same for me)...if that were the only way in which I talked to her it would be sad ...instead it's just an additional way of connecting. I can text message her while she's staying over at a friend's house without interrupting her time with them or she'll send me one while I'm in a meeting...and they're pretty much always followed up with phone calls when possible (I can't call her during school hours but she'll text message me during lunch...lol).

JasmineFire said:

If you live near a target, that's good.

Anx said:

She actually understands the value of money rather well...is pretty responsible in that regard. For her mother's birthday, she took on some more babysitting jobs because she didn't want to receive money from her mother or me to go buy the gift. And if it weren't for the fact that she wants the jeans by the start of the school year--which is in a few weeks--having her save up the money would probably go over well...but she'd never be able to earn that much that quickly.

She better not ask my sister (her godmother) for the money, though, cuz my sister WILL buy them for her...lol

When I was a teenager, my mom bought me an outrageously expensive barrette. It had all these ornaments hanging from it and it was gorgeous. I still feel a little rush of love for her when I think about that.

superspaceboy said:

You mean there are people who don't??...lol

Anx said:

1) Do you own 200 dollar pants now?
2) Do you perceive value in your expensive clothing items? (beyond brand name recognition)
3) Do you have pictures of your ass in jeans? Orgnoteme.
4)

Byron said:

over 45 miles to nearest Target here

Anx said:

I whole heartedly believe in that way of thinking. There are somethings you know your kids want that are ridiculously expensive and probably something they think they want or will end up being discarded within a year. I think most kids don't know or appreciate money the same way as adults. They see what their friends have and what other families have afforded and think it's no big deal, and can't understand why they can't have the same thing. But having them save up a little and sacrificing just a bit for what they want, they'll understand the value of what they bought. Just giving them outright (when it's not a gift) they have no concept for what it takes to pay for that item. Probably by forcing them to save for something they think they want...by the time a little money is ammassed they may find something they want more and then the money will already be saved.

Mach said:

Well, besides you...lol You live in the middle of a beautiful nowhere (hoping envy doesn't seem too transparent)

heartbeatocean said:

See, that's something I wonder about...I think that it's more than likely that she will not remember the $174 pair of jeans later in life. It'll be something I'll have to remind her of lol...

But the many small and completely free things, those she'll remember..she'll probably remember going shopping with me even if she doesn't remember what it is we bought...*smile*

Byron said:

OK, when I was 11, it was CRUCIAL to buy the outrageously expensive Gloria Vanderbilts which all the rich kids in my class had. It was really a sign of your class status, and pretty clearly divided the haves and the have-nots on a social scale. In my school, your social status (popularity) at that age relied very heavily on which brand name of clothing you wore and how much it cost.

Luckily, my mom didn't fall for this and I had to find a way, through duress, to value myself in the social scheme without owning expensive clothes. Austerity begets creativity and what fortunately happened at that young age is...I became a non-conformist.

Until this day, I have learned the art of spending very little to create fantastic outfits that completely surpass a fashion sense dictated by the mall.

By my mom not buying the clothes I wanted at the time, I was actually FORCED to grow as a person and re-evaluate what my self-esteem was based on. I became much more confident in turn.

(You also have to realize I went to a fashion-Nazi school which was brutal socially so this was some hardcore shit I had to deal with at the time) lol

Imago said:

1) Hell no. I wouldn't pay $200 for anything that I'm likely to fart on regularly.

2) Ummmm. Only in things like coats or boots or things that are expensive because they have some kind of practical application. Spending $300 on a t-shirt because it accentuates nipple hard-ons doesn't really count. Plus, I don't need the help.

3) Clearly you haven't seen my spread in the latest issue of Indie Inches. I made Mr. August! I'm very proud.

4)

Mach said:

If you live in a major city...most of them are in the burbs. I have no real way to get to Target or Walmart...unless I snag a car somehow. We just had a big defeat against a Walget Big Box Store that was to be built in the city.

Hope you told her to get a job And you know what's more insane than the price, those jeans probably have rips or holes in them!
[Edited 8/23/06 11:17am]

Byron said:

That's PRECIOUS. Love it.

Text messaging is great anyway, but I just think it would have been SO cool to be able to TM with my parents, for a lot of reasons. . . how fun.

Byron said:

She sounds like a really cool kid. You should bring her to an invasion.

nah, thats just too much for some jeans. my oldest wanted the ps3 until he saw for himself the price tag on it and then changed his mind before i could even tell him there was no way . he's cheaper than i am, actually he's a tightwad . My boys havent gotten to that age where they want expensive shoes and the like, there just into games and they dont care what game or system it is. by the time they get that age 15 16 or whatever, its time for them to find a parttime job/continue good grades, etc. i wont stand for a spoiled kid that just expects me to get things-they gotta work for it some kind of way. besides just giving them what they want even if you can afford it is not a good thing to do because it teaches them to be dependant, something i cant stand.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

I never understood the big deal in preripped jeans. It means you are getting a defective product IMO. Jeans that will rip worse than they are now and you gotta throw them away in a few months.

Has anyone ever thought that jeans are SO WORN OUT. Everyone wears them...yet they are still in fashion. I remember my friend came to visit and he had one of those awful/trendy ones that are like faded down the front of the slack (again they go for that way worn in look I just don't get). I said to him that I couldn't believe he was wearing something so so trendy. I pointed out that everyone wears those kind now (which started out cute when they all had slight fades in natural places). Day later he said he was looking around and I was right everyone wore them. I think he realized his fashion faux pas.

superspaceboy said:

There's a Target store in downtown Mpls. Of course we're headquartered here (I say 'we' cause I work for Target Corp). It was our pilot store for seeing if we want to pursue opening them in urban areas. There are a few now... But it's still mostly free-standing stores in the burbs.