Catalogs

It seems that this last week or so has been busy for our postman.  Christmas is not here, but the catalogs and items in stores have already arrived.

I love Christmas, and I won’t lie.  I get giddy when Christmas music comes on the radio and I see rows of tree ornaments in the stores this early.  We’ve been starting to get catalogs directly marketed for Christmas presents (although this vast industry rarely ever says the word “Christmas”…don’t get me started).  We’re getting hit from every angle.  From the American Girl doll people to a place we get some homeschool stuff…we got ’em. (There’s some really cool educational toys in that catalog that mommy has been drooling over…my poor kids.)

I have let the kids look at the catalogs because I remember paging through them as a kid too.  I could spend hours looking through a JC Penney catalog and decorating my room, picking out outfits, and of course jewelry.  Maybe I shouldn’t, but the kids love to go through these catalogs.

Fortunately, materialism and requests for stuff didn’t take over our home, and I think that was because we just recently got another catalog.

We got in the mail a gift giving catalog from Food for the Hungry, a charity that my mom works for.  Knut and I have a huge respect for them.  Just ask either one of us and we’ll talk your ear off about how they don’t just give things to the poor, but they allow the poor to maintain their dignity.  We’ll tell you how careful we have seen them use donations, and how they come up with programs that are smart.  They deal with both emergency situations, and community development.  I love hearing about their community development programs because they’re so careful to make sure that the community they serve does not become dependent on them.  (I told my mom I was probably going to blog about it so she told me to put a link to their Facebook page.)

So I looked through the whole thing, and then just left it on top of the pile along with all the toy catalogs.  I just waited until the kids found it.  It didn’t take long.

Silje came running up to me to tell me about the importance of clean water, and what water filled with parasites can mean for people who are already on the verge of starvation.

I know.  I’m the mom who leaves literature lying around the house about parasitic worms for her children to read.

She took the information on worms very easily.  It was much harder for her to understand how a cute little bunny could provide “nourishment.”

What I loved was her immediate connection to the other catalogs.

“Mommy, did you know that for less than the cost of a new American Girl doll, we could by a goat for a family who didn’t have enough food.  That goat would give them milk that they could drink, and they could sell some and get the things they need.  For less than the cost of 1 doll!”

With all the animals in it, this is the new ‘in demand’ catalog with the kids.  Silje, David, and even Elias will take turns looking at it.  David will often ask Silje to read it to him.

They have not asked for 1 new toy since this catalog entered my house.  Suddenly the list of things they’re saving for is changing.

I’m just thought I’d share this new revelation this year of the blessing of the FFH gift catalog…in case any of you other mothers like me are dreading the bombardment of marketing to our children in this upcoming Christmas season.