Writer James Lileks has come up with an interesting way of dealing with his daughter’s broken Nintendo:

(G)Nat dropped her Nintendo and it broke. This is a teachable moment, in which she learned an important lesson: don’t drop your Nintendo, or it will break. Also, a replacement is not immediately forthcoming. The world doesn’t work that way. Well, her world doesn’t work that way. I will not let her use savings to ut a new one, because she has no concept of money; I have told her she can wait three months, which is a mean cruel ETERNITY, but: she can hasten the day by spending Nintendo time on other things, such as reading and art. The more she does that, the faster Replacement Day comes.

I’ll admit, I may talk a good game but often I’m a total pushover. I have — on more than one occasion — immediately replaced a lost or broken toy (provided, of course, it was an accident and not due to carelessness). Even went so far that when a beloved stuffed animal went missing, I went on eBay and got into a bidding war to purchase a new one.

How do you handle such situations? Do you — finances permitting — buy a new one or do you turn it into a life lesson?

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