Apples, Brats, and Coach Purses

They say "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" and there are days when that thought scares me just a tad bit.

This morning, as I was strapping Ethan in his carseat to go to "school", he pointed at the brand new portrable dvd player (that mommy and daddy got him for his 1st birthday) hanging in front of his seat and started to whine.

Me: No whining please, Ethan.
Ethan: [still pointing] didida dadi
Me: Do you want to watch a video?
Ethan: [the whining gets louder] didi!
Me: I will turn it on in a sec...
Ethan: [starts screaming] mumma deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!
Me: [scrambling to get the straps buckled] Okay! Okay! I'm turning it on! Don't be such a brat....

And as I drove to work, listening to Barney sing about manners for the hundredth time, I realized that we've been calling him a "brat" a lot lately. 100 pieces of new clothes for Christmas.... brat. New toys to clutter the living room..... brat. Portable DVD player and new DVDs to watch.... brat. I couldn't help but wonder if calling him that (even though it's only playfully) can have a negative connotation. It's not his fault we're buying him all these things... so why should he be subject to the name calling?

I, on the other hand, have a $300 coach purse sitting in the closet that hasn't even seen the light of day. It was a Christmas present from Mike, and although I love him for the thought (especially after he SWORE that he'd never spend that much money on a purse even on my deathbed), I've been trying to get him to return it or exchange for a different purse. Did I need it? Surely not. Would I have paid as much as he did for one? Hell no. Did I want one? Of course... I just want a different style. Waaaaaaa Waaaaaaaa Waaaaaa

***Brat radar going off***

I really want Ethan to grow up to be someone who doesn't feel fulfilled by stuff, who doesn't buy into the get-it-now society that constantly bombards us. I want him to live free of the pressure to be like the "cool" kids and always have the latest toys and games, to know that his real worth comes from who he is and how he treats other people. As an adult, I want him to be responsible with money and free from excessive debt. I want him to know the different between wants and needs...

But how do I teach him that while I complain about a Coach purse that I refuse to use because I WANT another purse with a different strap? I know... how about I convince Mike to return the purse and spend the money on something we really NEED... like a cleaning lady?

Doh! Don't get me started on that one....