20 March - Toys R Horrid

The mum’s given us a lists of possibilities for son’s 6th b’day. Forty minutes in Toys R Us are enough to fill me with horror. Oh to be a slave to having to buy this shit because otherwise your kid will feel he’s deprived… Of course much as my clothes are made in China and the East so are the toys. Dead cheap to produce Plastic fantastic is everywhere and of course it’s sooooo expensive. Our b’day boy is receiving £50’s worth from grandparents and uncle. Will probably receive the same amount 3 or 4 other times over from other sets of grandparents (divorced so split into another subgroup) and uncles and family friends. The annual earnings of some Ethiopian shepherd no doubt. For what? Every TV programme has toys attached. Of course there are offers and discounts… but then it’s easy for the store to make it all back by selling you wrapping paper at £2.49 for a small amount.

It’s totally cloying and horrid, the way everything is displayed, the huge garden-suitable toys were grotesque, all this horror of primary colours. Probably only John Pawson’s kids have toys in muted white and cream and am sure that’s violating some kiddies human rights but you know, ban pink for girlies, ban Bratz and Barbies and ban Star Wars, Spiderman, Dr Who gear for boys. It’s just too awful to contemplate. I’m all for building kids a stash of gold. I only do jewellery. I know they don’t appreciate it… now. But it will be mighty useful for raising cash for crack in later years.