Thursday, September 6, 2007

Why Babies R Us is bad for my self-esteem

I will start by saying that despite the state of my house, I really am a perfectionist inside. I have these grand ideas of being organized and perfectly neat. I love innovative and creative ideas for keeping things in order.
This is why I hate Babies R Us. This is a store that for all of the money you possess, can organize and simplify your life in ways you never dreamed.
I consider myself to be a reasonably intelligent person. I even have good ideas...often.
But one step inside of that store and you quickly realize that there are many many more people in this world with better ideas. This place has an invention for EVERYTHING and really that is what you should expect in a specialty store. But in case you were pleased enough just to see the value in one of these inventions and make the purchase, they have to broadcast all over the wrapping that some average Joe (or Joan in most of these cases) had a an idea and did something about it faster than you could have and now they are millionaires and you are wasting money(don't let their fancy packaging fool you, according to our mothers, they were the female MacGyvers of their time) on something that will put more money in their pocket and really not change your life very much at all.
For example, I thought I was very clever in using one of Grace's toys to hang my purse from on the stroller. Well, now for just $7.99, you can have a specially made hook ergonomically designed just for purses and Suzy homemaker who "invented" this thing laughs all of the way to the bank. Why is she laughing? Because she knows that for free I could get twice the use out of an old toy but instead I am going to be a lemming and purchase her "specially designed to fit all strollers" hook!
So I spend the money and now I not only have a special place for my purse, I get to be reminded of how much more clever she than me ever time I use it.
The end result being a lower self-esteem. This is why we can't have anymore kids, the fewer amount of years spent in that devil=store, the better for my self-esteem.

3 comments:

Melissa Brosch said...

Don't be fooled Bea, you are genius! I too hate that store, but for different reasons. That place is a mystery to me. When I go there to buy someone a baby shower gift I go almost insane. They have 50 billion brands for random stuff that I have never heard of. Then the ladies look at me like...."you don't know what a diaper genie is idiot?" They make me feel like I will be a horrible mother. Maybe thats why i'm waiting to have kids.

Matt Doan said...

Bea,

You are hilarious.
I thought Terra Fermit
might have drained you
on all that is brillant,
but alas you are still
an excellent surveyor
of the American life.
Kudos.

Our Family said...

Yea, its crazy how many things they think up to make our lives easier as mothers. I never thought of anything until I become one...now I see why their are so many innovative inventions. Micah hates the stroller and I am racking my brain to figure out a way to get him to like. It's kind of fun though being a mother and getting creative with things. Their is so much fulfillment when it works. Anyways, I look forward to reading your blog :)