Kayla’s kids got a bunch of toys for Christmas. But they don’t play with all of them and this is bothering her husband. He’s saying that he wants to donate the ones they’re not playing with to Good Will. But Kayla is worried the kids will be upset once they find out that dad gave their new toys away? Are Kayla’s kids spoiled, or is one month too soon to determine if they’re just not going to play with them?
Jonathan: Today for panic button we have Kayla. Hey, Kayla.
Kayla: Hey. Hi.
Jonathan: So, Kayla, your problem is that your husband is a February Grinch. What’s his deal?
Kayla: Yeah. So. Okay. A little backstory, but, we got my kids a bunch of school toys for Christmas like you do. They said they wanted all these different ones. And some they’re playing with, and then some they’re just and not even touching.
Ayla: All right.
Kayla: My daughter, she wanted Barbie stuff that we got her that hasn’t even been taken out of the box yet. She’s not even touching the stuff. My son wanted the Nintendo Switch thing that has the steering wheel.
Jonathan: Oh, yeah, with the pedals and stuff.
Kayla: So we got that for him. And it’s still in the corner. You know, he’s not touching it. And my husband is not thrilled with this. He is saying that we are gonna pack up this stuff and we’re going take it to Good Will.
Jonathan: How old are your kids?
Kayla: They are five and seven.
Jonathan: Five and seven. Okay.
Ayla: And that’s old enough to say I want to keep these toys. Can’t you just ask them if they want to keep them?
Kayla: I mean, yeah, I guess.
Jonathan: It kind of defeats the purpose. If you have to ask, do you want to keep them, well, then they don’t. Then they’re just going to say yes because they don’t want you to throw them out by default. Man, I don’t know though.
Ayla: Your husband sounds like my husband. He tried to get me to donate a Blue House that was given to our son for Christmas, and he loves it. He goes in it all the time and he’s like, well, it’s taking up too much room. He put it in his car to donate it. Guess what I did? I walked right out and I took it back, put it back in his room, and I was like, not on my watch, sweetheart. Because, you know, kids at some point play with things, right?
Jonathan: Yeah.
Kayla: So I’ve got to play with them immediately. But they aren’t going to. They asked for the things that are just not being used or just sitting there.
Jonathan: What blows my mind about this is that this is something my wife really would like to do and never has.
Ayla: What, like a purge?
Jonathan: Because we get so many toys. And her mom goes overboard for Christmas and always buys the kids way too much stuff. We’re always just overwhelmed with the presents. She just kind of lets him sit in the basement and they’re just taking up space.
Ayla: Yeah, maybe. Yeah.
Jonathan: But I also know that Finn would lose his mind if we did this.
Ayla: Even though they’re downstairs?
Jonathan: But if he found out, he’d say, No! I play with it. I play with it. It’s like taking a part of their soul, I guess.
Ayla: But also, if they don’t know their soul exists down in the basement, you could do it and they’d never know it’s missing.
Jonathan: I guess my argument would be that they haven’t played with them yet, but you don’t know that maybe they’re getting to it.
Ayla: Yeah, maybe I don’t know. This is tough.
Jonathan: Here’s Kayla’s problem. Her husband wants to donate their kids toys to goodwill. It’s just specifically the toys that they’re not playing with from Christmas. It’s only February. Is that a bit of an overreaction? Is he just hurt because they’re not playing with the toys that they asked Santa Claus for? What do you think? Thanks, Kayla.
Kayla: Thank you.
