Jo Cool Mama

It seems like everywhere we go there are these big, easy to read signs, “FREE” with little itty bitty small print, “with the purchase of blah blah blah.” Sammy sees the massive “FREE” and doesn’t understand yet that you have to read the entire message. A few months ago I was in a bath and body type store and everywhere you looked, “Free!” “Free!” “Free!” So Sammy helped himself to a few “Free!” items. It was not until we were home and cleaning out pockets for laundry did I find the “Free!” things. I drilled him, “Why did you take these!” His big blue eyes looked at me and said, “It said they were free. And free means no money.” I could not argue – although I explained as much as I could that you need to read the entire sign – all the words. Now when we go to the store Sammy finds all the “Free!” signs and asks me, “Is that really free or are they lying?” Well I have to say they are lying because in fact they are – you might be getting a bonus, but nothing is really “free” and to a six-year-old that is a hard concept to accept.

The other night, while driving home from my mother’s, it was dark but as we drove by the RV sales lot Sammy saw the giant sign that read “FREE!” It was too dark to see anything else written on the sign so it appeared that the only thing the sign read was “FREE!” Sammy says, “Mommy! The RVs are free!” I tried to explain to him that probably was not the case, but no, it said “FREE!” and that was all it said! Life needs to stop being so misleading for little kids who still see only the big colorful things in life and not the small black print at the bottom. Aww Sammy!