A Small Rant About Batteries
The other day I received a product to review in the mail. It requires six batteries. Now, I realize the product is free, but batteries are expensive and we never seem to have any “extra” on hand. We have a few sets of rechargeable’s but they’re busy in remotes, handheld games, wireless mice and other devices. We’re not that family that has a drawful of batteries at our disposal. Eventually I’ll remember to go to the store for some batteries.
Every now and then we’ll have visitors who shall remain nameless *cough*my sister in law’s family *cough* and whatever game or toy they bring over or choose to play with inevitably has no batteries. We end up emptying remotes and Leapsters for the rechargeables and half the time they end up taking them home. My relative who will remain nameless *cough*brother in law*cough* always comments about how we never have batteries in the house. Well excuse me, but it’s not up to me to make sure your radio controlled dinosaur is working properly.
If you have a battery operated toy and you’re bringing it to another person’s house, do make sure the batteries are fresh or you have a spare set. If you don’t have backup, don’t get all annoyed at me because I don’t want to provide you and your toy with my expensive batteries. It’s bad enough I can’t change my television or brush my teeth without batteries, but for others to expect me to make sure their toys have a fresh set is just lame.
I am not cheap because I don’t have a drawer full of spare batteries and I am not cheap because I don’t want to fill your toys with MY batteries. I am cheap because I don’t have my own batteries, not because I don’t have a set for you.
That is all.
Image by ronnieb via Morgue File.
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POSTED IN: Around the House
7 opinions for A Small Rant About Batteries
Blondie Writes
Mar 10, 2008 at 5:43 pm
I have to agree with your rant on this one. I have learned now when I buy toys for kids, I must make sure to check if it has batteries. I hate giving away my rechargable’s becasue I never seem to go near a store that has the ones that I need or want.
dh
Mar 10, 2008 at 5:50 pm
I went to breakfast with the Easter Bunny at the zoo with another family. The father of the other family remarked on the wonderful stickers he just got. I asked if he was going to let his kids use them. He said no, he has no problems taking the stickers for himself after all (and he looked me straight in the eye and said) how many flashlights have working batteries in your house. I had to admit that as soon as a flashlight got a new battery, it became a fun thing for my kids to spirit off into their rooms.
AnneMarie Z
Mar 10, 2008 at 6:02 pm
I have to agree!!! When we give a toy that requires batteries we always give extras!!! Yep, a little package on top of the toy with extra batteries so the parents don’t have to go searching for a new set when the others croak!
Beth
Mar 10, 2008 at 11:30 pm
I always stock pile batteries when I get the almost free…think CVS…although I did get 20 two packs of AA batteries for free from Rite Aid last month.
Peggy
Mar 11, 2008 at 11:32 pm
Your friend should invest in rechargeable batteries. Then, she’d always have a spare set.
Meg G
Mar 12, 2008 at 8:25 am
Ah! The endless struggle for batteries. I don’t have the toy problem, but I’ll sit down to watch tv and find that someone has stolen the batteries out of the clicker to use it for something else! Of course I never have extra batteries - just the ones I need for the items that need batteries. Then I have to decide whether or not it’s worth the trip to the store (it generally isn’t in the winter). So I end up finding all electronics in my apartment with matching batteries and figuring out which one I could sacrifice to use for the clicker. Usually by this time I’ve missed the show I sat down to watch in the first place.
Hmmm guess I went on a rant too.
Rebecca
Mar 16, 2008 at 11:20 pm
My strategy saves money and sanity: don’t buy batteries, and don’t put them in any toys. My daughter’s toys don’t light up, sing songs, or make animal sounds without the batteries, and that’s the way I like it!
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