Birthday Shopping

Hannah has a birthday coming up, which means I’m spending my kid-free weeknights browsing the local toy stores. This is the best quality time I can spend with my daughter without actually being with her. I love thinking about the kinds of toys and games and crafts she likes, and I know that I’ll pick out at least a couple of gifts that bring her joy.

However, I can’t help feel a bit of sadness as I shop. I know it’s a cliche, but it’s true: My little girl is growing up so fast. As I walk up and down the aisles, I see experiences I want her to have while she’s young. But she’s getting older every day.

…I spot a rock collector’s kit, complete with rock samples, and I remember the kit I received when I was her age.  I want her to learn about pyrite (fool’s gold) just like I did, by owning a little chunk of it.  Should I get that for her?

…What about the board game Risk? I loved playing that when I was younger, but maybe she’s too young to appreciate it? Are there other board games I want her to know and love like I did?

…And there’s a build-your-own-robot kit. She bought one of those at a gift shop in South Carolina this summer, and we never got around to building it together. Is it too late now?  Should I buy another one?

I know Hannah won’t have the exact same set of experiences I had when I was a kid. There are toys and games that I played with for hours that don’t grab her attention at all. And she has her own interests, ones that didn’t appeal to my nine-year-old self.

But I know that some of the gifts she receives for this birthday will create memories for her that she’ll carry with her for years. Wandering through the toy store, I feel the weight of that responsibility, that opportunity. What a privilege to help shape this little girl’s view of the world.

Image: “Battle for Europe,” photobunny, Flickr (CC)