Monday, August 14, 2006

Peer pressure and a loyal marketing subject at age two

For the past few weeks when I drop Leif off, we empty his lunchbox into the fridge and he diligently shows me Soren’s yogurt, “Mommy see Sorens?”. Soren gets the Danimals drinkable yogurts while Leif has to live with Tillamook (which is darn expensive yogurt). Leif = enamored. Silly mommy, evidently I did not pick this up that Leif just really, really wanted these Danimals yogurts himself. I don’t know what I thought. Other than maybe, oh something like, “put back your friend’s food where it belongs!”

I can see why he likes them, bright colors, puffy writing, small portable size… marketed straight to a two year old of course!

I finally got the message the other day as we were cruising the dairy aisle. Evidently mommy is a little slow on the uptake and lucky for me “I want” has not yet entered Leif’s vocab. There was much squealing as we cruised right on past the Danimals drinkable yogurt packs. Silly me, I stop, what exactly was provoking the squealing? I follow the finger waving until, ah ha! Mystery solved. There were many grins and claps when I succumbed and bought two four packs (in exchange for Gogurt, which I find just kind of nasty anyways to slurp yogurt out of plastic tubes).

This morning we went into daycare and emptied his lunch into the fridge. I had one overjoyed child on my hands when he reached into HIS lunchbox and pulled out the Danimals yogurt cup. He pranced around the room with it and showed each teacher saying “See mine!” each time. Miss K finally got him to put it in the fridge so he would have it with lunch. She also said that she would be sitting he and Soren next to each other so they could mutually admire each other’s yogurt.

So yes, my son caves to peer pressure and the ploys of marketing. But it eventually falls on mommy’s shoulders as the consumer. What? It isn’t like it was candy! It’s yogurt!

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