Son, For Christmas, I’m Going To Teach You How To Become The Hot Wheels® Monster Trucks T-Rex Volcano Arena

Forget actual gifts. Knowledge is powerful play.

Rochelle E. Fisher
Slackjaw

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Illustration by Rebekah Hair

Listen, I know you really want presents this year. But I can’t control some things like if the toy you want is stuck somewhere in the Pacific because of shipping delays. And anyway, if I just buy you the most popular toy, what’s that going to do for you? Sure, it will get you some hours of entertainment and possibly a moment of quiet time for me. But in the long run, it doesn’t teach you anything. It’s like the old saying goes — buy a kid a Hot Wheels® Monster Trucks T-Rex Volcano Arena, and he’ll be happy for an hour, but teach a kid to actually become that Hot Wheels® Monster Trucks T-Rex Volcano Arena, and he’ll play joyfully for life.

Yeah, I could just go to eBay and spend a couple of hours trying to win it for you. But after a hot minute of captivating play, the T-Rex part will end up in your left sneaker, the cars down the toilet, the tracks as Buddy’s chew toy — and I’ll be out a small fortune. Now, passing on the knowledge to you of how to act like a plastic dinosaur head emerging from a volcano designed with tracks for toy cars to ride on… that’s priceless.

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Rochelle E. Fisher
Slackjaw

Top writer in Satire & Parenting, Rochelle's words can be found in McSweeney’s, Slackjaw, The Belladonna, Points in Case, Weekly Humorist, Frazzled, and others.