Be careful letting your kid look through catalogs that come in the mail...

[AimeeM]

We've never purchased from them before, so I'm not sure how we ended up with a catalog from them, but one came today. Benign cover, advertising "Whatever Works: Home, Garden, Pest Control."

 

Until you get to pp 50-51... where they advertise TeA toys. A rather large variety at that.

 

Imagine my surprise when DD14 squeals and I hear something flying across the house. She picked up the catalog because she enjoys looking through home and garden knick knacks, which is what was advertised on the front. She was NOT a happy camper; neither was I, if I'm honest. 

 

So, yeah, lesson learned. Look through seemingly benign home and garden (and pest control) catalogs before letting the children look through them. 

 

:closedeyes:

Edited January 12, 2016 by AimeeM

[happi duck]

Yikes!

[DawnM]

We were at a very nice hotel on the beach once when my older two were little.  They found a "toy" behind the mini-fridge.  I marched right down to the front desk to speak to a manager about housekeeping (or lack thereof)!  :crying:

[TravelingChris]

Thanks for the warning. I am a gardener so I could see getting this advertisement. I don't want to see it either even though I have no kids at home (empty nester).

[Guest]

They know what those are, though? An awful lot of otherwise pedestrian catalogs have come in the house that have "personal massagers" for sale in them. I think even catalogs like Lillian Vernon (everyday household stuff) have "personal massagers" in them.

[Serenade]

Eh, I had an issue of Cooking Light or Eating Well, where the author of the last page editorial described the first sexual experience of her daughter -- not explicitly, but the sexual experience was a key part of the story.  And I've certainly forgotten how it related to cooking, if it ever did.   Anyhow, it made me uncomfortable, and I was more careful about leaving my cooking magazines around for my boys to read.  Ugh, and one of them liked to cook.  Even Martha Stewart has had what I would call questionable ads, even if perhaps OK for the target audience, which I'm guessing is middle-aged women.  But middle-aged women tend to have children who pick up these things and look at them.

[umsami]

At 14, I'd probably tell my daughter what they were and let her know that if she ever wants one, I'm OK with it.  Fourteen year olds have sexual thoughts.  I'd rather her have a toy then have actual sex at that age. 

[J-rap]

Who knew that a garden catalog would have that!  I remember when my son was quite young and looking through something like the Mechanical Engineer catalog.  Wow!

[mamiof5]

Not surprised :(. People find the need to sexualize everything through media (TV, internet, music, magazines... it's everywhere). Kind of disturbing.

[mamiof5]

We were at a very nice hotel on the beach once when my older two were little. They found a "toy" behind the mini-fridge. I marched right down to the front desk to speak to a manager about housekeeping (or lack thereof)! :crying:

No way!!!! So many things come to mind!! Eeeeeewwwwwwwwwww!!!!

[Valley Girl]

We've never purchased from them before, so I'm not sure how we ended up with a catalog from them, but one came today. Benign cover, advertising "Whatever Works: Home, Garden, Pest Control."

 

Until you get to pp 50-51... where they advertise TeA toys. A rather large variety at that.

 

Imagine my surprise when DD14 squeals and I hear something flying across the house. She picked up the catalog because she enjoys looking through home and garden knick knacks, which is what was advertised on the front. She was NOT a happy camper; neither was I, if I'm honest. 

 

So, yeah, lesson learned. Look through seemingly benign home and garden (and pest control) catalogs before letting the children look through them. 

 

:closedeyes:

 

We got that same catalog in the mail. I called the company and told them to immediately remove me from the list. I told them exactly why. I did NOT appreciate finding that kind of stuff in, as you said, an otherwise benign-looking catalog.

[AimeeM]

We got that same catalog in the mail. I called the company and told them to immediately remove me from the list. I told them exactly why. I did NOT appreciate finding that kind of stuff in, as you said, an otherwise benign-looking catalog.

I called them and told them the same :P

[AimeeM]

At 14, I'd probably tell my daughter what they were and let her know that if she ever wants one, I'm OK with it.  Fourteen year olds have sexual thoughts.  I'd rather her have a toy then have actual sex at that age. 

Understood. We don't take the same approach, though, and my daughter would be mortified at the suggestion.

[AimeeM]

They know what those are, though? An awful lot of otherwise pedestrian catalogs have come in the house that have "personal massagers" for sale in them. I think even catalogs like Lillian Vernon (everyday household stuff) have "personal massagers" in them.

These were very obviously TeA toys - with detailed descriptions. Not just little massagers that could be seen as something else, lol.

[Carol in Cal.]

Reminds me of when I decided to order some more cerebral magazines for my office waiting room, and put Psychology Today on the list.  The very first issue that arrived had a bondage picture on the front cover.  Ugh.

[Guest]

That's such a super weird combination of merchandise!

[AimeeM]

That's such a super weird combination of merchandise!

It really is.

Now, if it had included in the front description, "personal toys," or something of that variety, next to "home, garden, and pest control," I would have just tossed it, but no - apparently TeA toys are now in the home (or maybe pest control?)) category :P

[AimeeM]

Reminds me of when I decided to order some more cerebral magazines for my office waiting room, and put Psychology Today on the list.  The very first issue that arrived had a bondage picture on the front cover.  Ugh.

Yikes!!!

[Dmmetler]

Medical supply/specialized clothing catalogs that cater to seniors seem to have a lot of that stuff as well (Which makes me wonder what the definition of a durable medical good is!).

 

Something to keep in mind before you let your "reads everything that isn't nailed down" kid flip through catalogs at grandma's house!

[idnib]

That's such a super weird combination of merchandise!

 

It's making me take a second glance at all my friends who are into "gardening." (I'm just going to put that in quotes from now on.)  :p

[Guest]

Medical supply/specialized clothing catalogs that cater to seniors seem to have a lot of that stuff as well (Which makes me wonder what the definition of a durable medical good is!).

 

Something to keep in mind before you let your "reads everything that isn't nailed down" kid flip through catalogs at grandma's house!

Do you have my daughter?! My oldest rummages through the mail and magazines before we get a chance. She reads every label, bottle, and text skipper she can get her hands on. And then asks very *interesting* questions :rofl:

[38carrots]

It's making me take a second glance at all my friends who are into "gardening." (I'm just going to put that in quotes from now on.)  :p

 

:smilielol5:

[cera2]

After having to explain viagra ads to my young girls (since they are everywhere...nothing surprises me anymore.

[Tanaqui]

Medical supply/specialized clothing catalogs that cater to seniors seem to have a lot of that stuff as well (Which makes me wonder what the definition of a durable medical good is!).

 

Those goods had better darn well be durable! What the heck are you paying for otherwise!?

 

Edited January 12, 2016 by Tanaqui

[abba12]

Hehe, I still think the 'want longer lasting sex?' billboards, in huge red letters over a yellow background, for the company that sells treatment for premature ejaculation, still wins. There was no way to drive by those billboards with a child of reading age and not have to explain them, and they were EVERYWHERE. At one point (pre readers)  there was one on the street outside out house (we were living on the side of a major road)

 

Were those in America too? Or was that an Aussie thing? They did eventually, after at least a couple of years of this, get forced into blanking out the word sex, and now most of the billboards are gone, but we still have (rather funny)  radio ads. 

 

I guess I look at things differently. We're quite conservative, but I don't consider ignorance to be a good thing. I'd probably be kind of glad the child found that page because it would give me a totally unawkward lead-in to a conversation about what they are. There's no good way to introduce that topic in a casual, no pressure way. Bringing it up artificially is ALWAYS awkward. So talking about it because she found some in a book isnt a bad idea. And I'd like to introduce the concept/conversation before she finds one at a friends house. I wouldn't go so far as to buy her one, that's not our families values, but at 14 I'd welcome the chance to introduce the topic and discuss such things in a way that came up naturally rather than being contrived. 

 

Of course, I totally get everyones point that this was inappropriate. The fact it might be fortunate for my theoretical 14yo girl, doesn't mean it's ok for my theoretical 8yo son lol. I've never ever seen toys in a mixed catalogue like that. I think our advertising laws here might be different though. We can have billboards, but we can't have pictures of toys lol. 

[Lara in Colo]

I had the same magazine!!!!  

My neighbor (80 yo strict Baptist) have us a bunch of them before Christmas for our children to go through and get ideas for presents.  I just accidentally was flipping though that one and found the same page!!  I don't think the children saw it first since I didn't hear any remarks, but it was a shocker!!!!.

[Guest]

These were very obviously TeA toys - with detailed descriptions. Not just little massagers that could be seen as something else, lol.

Well, I'm a gardener and now I'm seriously wondering if this catalog has come into our house. I have been recycling catalogs directly because of the Nothing New challenge.

[Guest]

It's making me take a second glance at all my friends who are into "gardening." (I'm just going to put that in quotes from now on.) :p

"Well, that ain't no weedwhacker, Jack..."

[RootAnn]

"Well, that ain't no weedwhacker, Jack..."

 

:smilielol5: ROFL!

 

My dd#2 grabs just about every catalog that arrives with pictures. She likes to cut out stuff that will help her with her drawings. She complained today that she hasn't gotten any of the good clothing catalogs in the mail lately. (Um, they're address to me, darling.) I'll keep this in mind.

[Dmmetler]

One of my "reasons you don't want an early reader" was that sort of thing. We were in a pizza place with a TV showing sports, and preschool DD popped out with "mommy, what's e-rec-tile dys-fun-ction?" In one of those little kid voices that rings and is audible clearly across the room. Let's just say I wasn't applauding her decoding and chunking skills!!

[Lizzie in Ma]

I hear you, I used to always rip out those pages in the Pyramid catalog. ;)

[Chris in VA]

Vermont Country Store, home of old fashioned candy, granny nighties and denim jumpers has "toys" now, too.

[Cinder]

Vermont Country Store, home of old fashioned candy, granny nighties and denim jumpers has "toys" now, too.

 

:svengo: