Well modified parents, it’s about that time of year when you can finally celebrate. In a few short weeks, the youngsters will be heading back to school, letting you call in sick to work and enjoy a silent few hours at home before the bell rings.
But before the quiet can settle in, there still is the matter of the dreaded back to school shopping. Things have changed over the years when it comes to shopping for the little (and not-so little) ones. Many moons ago, parents would help the kids pick up supplies; pens, notebooks, backpacks, etc., and probably pick up a new outfit or two for the first day of school. Nowadays, things are a little different.
In a recent American Express survey, notebooks and clothes are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fall spending.
Clothing, shoes and school supplies were the top three categories, making the shopping lists of more than 80 percent of consumers. Other popular categories include books (43 percent), sports equipment (24 percent) and healthcare (23 percent).
But parents also had some more discretionary purchases in mind, with nearly half saying they planned to spend on cosmetic services for their kids. Of that group, respondents were divided among manicures and pedicures (24 percent), teeth whitening (18 percent), spa services (12 percent), waxing (11 percent) and tattoos (9 percent).
Yep, you read that right. 9 percent of the people polled in the survey had planned in their budget a new tattoo for their offspring. I know that for years now body modifications have been becoming more and more acceptable in mainstream society, and you can call me old fashioned, but I think I would probably not give my kids money for a tattoo if the only justification was that it was to show off for the new school year.
So ModBlog reader, what are your thoughts? Would you get your children a new mod for the first day of school, or would you rather spend the money on something banal, like spa services and teeth whitening? Actually come to think of it, I’d probably be a little creeped out if my kids asked me for money to get waxed before hopping on the bus.
Comments
54 responses to “Back to school!”
Aside from how ludicrous it is for a parent to even CONSIDER buying their kid a tattoo, isn’t if a little fucked that parents are paying for salon treatment for these snot nosed little brats? WTF? I blame Sex in the City and LA Ink for this shit. Acne? I can understand, but the likelihood that these kids all have something that needs to be fixed via salon treatment is nil. Stupid. Fuck.
When I was a kid, tools were important for learning, not looks. This is fucked and makes me very angry about parents, yet again.
Rites of passage do not exist anymore. Hope is lost, culture is plasticized. fml.
Back to my cave.
Aside from how ludicrous it is for a parent to even CONSIDER buying their kid a tattoo, isn’t if a little fucked that parents are paying for salon treatment for these snot nosed little brats? WTF? I blame Sex in the City and LA Ink for this shit. Acne? I can understand, but the likelihood that these kids all have something that needs to be fixed via salon treatment is nil. Stupid. Fuck.
When I was a kid, tools were important for learning, not looks. This is fucked and makes me very angry about parents, yet again.
Rites of passage do not exist anymore. Hope is lost, culture is plasticized. fml.
Back to my cave.
Getting a kid a tattoo for back to school sounds beyond stupid, but the other stuff sounds par for the course for spoiled teenagers. It’s not creepy for a kid to ask for money for waxing if it’s a 14-17 year old female for her legs (or upper lip or arms if she wants).
Getting a kid a tattoo for back to school sounds beyond stupid, but the other stuff sounds par for the course for spoiled teenagers. It’s not creepy for a kid to ask for money for waxing if it’s a 14-17 year old female for her legs (or upper lip or arms if she wants).