Messy Minded Momma

YouTube gives my child unrealistic expectations, just like Disney Princesses gave me unrealistic expectations about hair.

Whoever started posting content on YouTube to make money, kudos to you. But as a parent? I am not a fan.

My 4-year-old recently discovered shows like Vlad and Niki and Ninja Kidz, and there is no turning back.

Vlad and Niki are brothers who unbox the newest, coolest toys and dive deep into imaginative play, building mazes, cardboard schools, and entire worlds. Their house is beautiful, big, modern, and spotless… which only adds to the unrealistic expectation of what a home with children should look like.

Then there’s the Ninja Kidz. A group of siblings who travel the world with their parents, going on expensive trips and completing ninja-style challenges. With backgrounds in martial arts and gymnastics, their flips, kicks, and strength make everything look effortless.

And honestly? Good for them. But for me? Not so much.

Last month, my son asked me for a gumball machine. Yes.  A gumball machine. Casually, at the dinner table, he told me he wanted one, like it was 1999 and he had just discovered Bubble Tape for the first time. “You’re going to have to save your money if you want a gumball machine,” I told him.

I had no idea gumball machines were still a thing, so naturally, I opened Amazon and started searching. There were small plastic ones I wasn’t interested in, and expensive freestanding ones I definitely wasn’t interested in.

If my son was going to get a gumball machine, something he would likely lose interest in eventually, he was going to have to work for it. Literally.

I found a STEM-based one on Amazon with over 50 pieces that he would have to build himself. It was over $60, and I wasn’t buying it unless he earned it.

We started with small, easy chores like cleaning up dog poop in the backyard, and eventually worked our way up to bigger jobs, like helping Dad in the garage, sorting scrap metal, and returning empty cans to the beer store. We tracked his progress on a visual chart where he could colour in his achievements each week.

Not only did he earn and build the gumball machine, he enjoyed the process.

And now? Now he thinks it’s a free-for-all.

Every single day, he’s asking for gum.

Personally, the idea of him chewing gum makes me nervous. But thankfully, he spits it out after a minute or two. It’s all about the novelty.

It’s bad enough that he wants all the newest gadgets and toys that Vlad and Niki have… but now he’s doing somersaults, front flips, kicks, and hits like he’s preparing for combat. While casually asking to go to theme parks in Abu Dhabi and swim with marine life.

Apparently, in 2026, raising a child means budgeting for gumball machines and international travel dreams… all before kindergarten graduation.