My daughter killed her Nook last week. This did not come as a surprise, as my daughter has single-handedly brought many of her personal belongings to an early demise. I used to cringe every time I saw her walking down the hall saying, “Oops!” Over time, I learned to reduce my reactions to the multitude of “oops” moments that exist with my daughter in our home. She has broken many things – and too numerous to count, and has cost of thousands in replacement items. I am hoping that as she gets older she will outgrow this tendency to treat her belongings in ways that are not nurturing the long-term sustainability of the items.
I hope that as I give her an allowance and she learns fiscal responsibility she will also learn responsibility and start to care more about her “things. It is all about the balance, however, as I am also happy that she is not overly focussed on things and does not believe that things are going to help make her truly happy in life.
~400daystil40
Fortuitous Forty!!! 
jensine
January 8, 2013 at 00:09
my bother was (and still is a bit) like that and he is 35
400daystil40
January 10, 2013 at 22:24
!!!!!
Another Thousand Words
January 8, 2013 at 01:55
My parents were young during the Great Depression, so I was raised with the emphasis that ‘things’ cost dearly, and was taught to take good care of those ‘things’, whether they were gadgets, clothing, etc. I’m thankful for those lessons from much more than a half-century ago, and find it a pity that we live in a ‘cheap, toss-away’ society these days.
She shall learn, 400, because you teach her well…and with patience and love!
400daystil40
January 10, 2013 at 22:24
Yes, sadly, most people in the world no longer understand that lesson!
Another Thousand Words
January 11, 2013 at 04:06
Perhaps…someday…or am I dreaming?
Lani Longshore
January 8, 2013 at 02:09
Paying for her own belongings is about the only way to teach her to take care of them. My brother started charging his kids $5 for every item of clothing they dropped on the living room floor, and always had them pay for the big ticket items themselves.
400daystil40
January 10, 2013 at 22:24
Yes, and even that may not work! I LOVE what your brother did!!!
walkwiththerabbi
January 8, 2013 at 03:10
We value nothing, material or otherwise, that costs us the same.
400daystil40
January 10, 2013 at 22:23
Very, very good point!
behindthemaskofabuse
January 8, 2013 at 05:47
i’ll treat my things nicer if you give me an allowance 😉
400daystil40
January 10, 2013 at 22:23
hehehe!
behindthemaskofabuse
January 10, 2013 at 22:24
😉
ag
January 8, 2013 at 06:15
I was introduced to your blog just as I began my photo/day blog on January 1 last year. Now that I’m done, I’m even more impressed with what you’ve been doing: choosing a longer time period and using words instead of images, which I think is even harder. Keep up the good work.
400daystil40
January 10, 2013 at 22:23
Wow, thank you so much for the compliment! Yes, I was thinking of morphing this into a photo blog! 🙂
John Paul McNeil
January 9, 2013 at 00:17
Interesting post. I like your search for balance in trying to understand/cope with this. Perhaps she might be giving even more subtle/hidden messages. Look closer at what she has “eliminated”, may be a pattern there. More techno stuff, for instance. Just sayin’. Glad I re-found you. Your posts are always thought provoking. Happy New Year!
400daystil40
January 10, 2013 at 22:22
I think it is more impulse control than anything, but you raise very important questions.
knittingwithheart
January 11, 2013 at 01:51
Great post (and comments too) for provoking so much thought from “oops” moments 🙂
400daystil40
January 12, 2013 at 16:41
Thank you!!!