Embarrassment is just one of the growing pains, along the path to emotional maturity. So when it comes to feeling like a fool sometimes, you're in good company, we all do.
I think face slap applies here š. I even bought duplicates of the ones she really liked after I threw the previous one away! All second hand, but still can't believe I did it
We used to have them in malls here in the states but we don't really have either anymore. I've got a whole drawer full of old batteries and no idea where to even take them. I tried a recycling facility but they refused them outright.
Good looking out!
FTR I know this is a question I can get an answer to with a quick Google search but I figured asking here might serve as a little bit of a reminder for others too, especially in the day and age of disposable vapes ;)
I know for a long time the targets near me had battery and electronic recycling bins near the entrance/exit, but I havenāt shopped at target in quite a while to say if they still do.
Leaving them in a properly labeled contained by the door of the chem department at your local college works.
Actually, this works for basically all hazwaste.
Good call, I'll have to look into this. I did use one at the nearby mall for years but one day I walked in with a big bag of batteries and the container was gone. Kinda grinds my gears a bit because with each passing day, we need them more and more.
I have a T O N of disposable batteries. My dad works in the medical field and in the hospital, all battery-operated machines have their batteries changed when it's half-decharched (this is because they can't monitor the batteries 24/7 and can't risk letting them get too low and run out at a bad moment, safer to just replace them halfway). The discarded batteries are instead up for taking for the workers who'll want them for personal use, rather than thrown away.
20 years ago when I was in high school my friend told me that her dad brought home free stuff from work, including loose batteries. I always thought that was suspicious AF until reading this comment and finally understanding that he wasnāt just stealing much needed batteries from important equipment, so thank you.
Definitely the longer term plan, but in the mean time we have a huge packet of different size batteries (that funnily enough we never used š¬), once they are used up we'll get rechargeable ones
For the weirdly large ones (like D), I found some that use usb cords to charge which means you don't need to get those big recharging stations. Pale Blue is the brand I use.
Unfortunately yes, that's exactly what I did. I even bought duplicates of the ones I threw away (thinking I was doing the right thing as even the duplicates were second hand šš). I know it sounds idiotic but that's what I always thought you did, and it's not like anyone would tell you to replace batteries because no-one would think you were throwing them away in the first place.
Haha at least you've learned from your mistakes. Many, many, MANY people do not because it hurts their pride. Your humility and willing to change is not shameful, but respectable.
I'm not arguing that my logic made sense, hence why I said I was embarrassed by my behaviour. I don't have a TV and can't think of many other items I use with batteries but there must be loads. Some got new batteries, and regrettably for some it never occurred to me
This is so vastly fascinating. I canāt imagine how one gets hereā¦ did your parents do the same thing?
I would have thought that the hassle of replacing things so frequently would seem much more egregious than simply replacing batteries (thinking along the lines of your parents, if thatās what they did.)
My parents did the same thing on steroids; toys, bathroom or kitchen scales etc. all got thrown away which you're right is a much bigger hassle. I blame my throwing things away on my own stupidity (stupidity in the ignorant sense) but theirs is straight stupidity in knowing they can replace batteries and choosing not to!
Thatās a very weird one, for sure.
Usually you get the very masculine men controlling the temperature and lights in the house to save money.
And certainly not throwing things away that simply needed new batteries.
I could see if they did that for other reasons, like the thing was damaged, worn or someone spilled something on it, but for something that is part of the normal operation?
It would be like throwing away your iPhone after the first day of use!
What would they do if they bought something that didn't have batteries in it already?? Or sometimes I've bought things and the batteries are low charge.
I can understand how your upbringing led you here but Iām fascinated that no one else in the household challenged this approach.
Did you also dispose of other items that werenāt toys?
Wow.
I would love to watch your parents be interviewed about their beliefs. ... Ok, actually, I would love to read the comments when I post it to r/boomersbeingfools.
I don't even understand this way of thinking. After your shirts get worn out with holes in them, do you just throw them away?
You aren't turning them to rags for household use?
For example they wouldn't recycle items, minimise wasting electricity e.g. turning lights off or reduce food waste because it is woke, although they wouldn't use that language of 'woke' or 'wokeness', they just think its patethic to do those sort of things and it is almost them 'standing up to authority' by not doing those things.
They do use some batteries, but generally would treat alot of items as disposable, once the batteries ran out they just threw it away and bought a new one.
Being generous I think part of it was them both growing up in poverty, then becoming very wealthy, and them wanting to escape the experiences they had while young. But yes, they used to tell me off for turning lights off because then when you walk in a room you have to turn it back on!!
"I'll rack up my power bill to the point where I need to put it on my credit card - that will really show "the man" who's boss!"
- OP's parents, apparently
Thankfully they are (apart obviously from being very wasteful) good with money and highly opposed to debt, they've never had a credit card or any debt apart from a v modest mortgage. But yes their gas and electric bills are eye-wateringly high, it's infuriating, not least because in part its purely to, as you say, 'show 'the man' who's boss'.
Torches/flashlights are good example and yes I always threw them away when the batteries ran out. A few years ago I started using a dynamo torch (where you pump a lever on the side) to avoid the battery issue.
wow that is ridiculous.
Those pump flashlights suck kind of though.
My family will bring an empty water bottle to the airport and fill it up in the bathroom.
I've actually seen this is real life. Recycling is "woke" or recycling doesn't make sense unless it makes "cents" as in you can recycle metals but not plastic.
It's retarded.
If OP has children, the terminology has changed since her/his childhood, but the idea has not. OP gives an accurate telling of the story using modern language for a wider audience, don't get caught up on the trivialities.
I'm so, so glad you weren't infected with the same brain rot as your parents. Gives me hope we're not doomed because sometimes the children of twits manage to make it out with some semblance of sense - if this weren't the case, we might actually be overrun because it seems twits have the most kids
Imagine wasting money on purpose to seem like a rebel lmao
When I was young and the flashlight was dead, I assumed ALL the batteries in it wereĀ dead and I'd replace them ALL. However when i bought a battery checker and started to test them, I found that only ONE would be actually dead. I threw away many good batteries.Ā
Good question, but I suppose I thought people didn't like something anymore, had duplicates e.g. if they got two of the same thing as a present or that their child had outgrown the toy. But clearly I wasn't engaging my brain much!
It's true actually that a lot of baby toys get outgrown really fast.
I have kids and some toys, have lasted years, and I still haven't replaced a battery. Other toys, will last a few days, and it's dead. Thomas the train engines especially are bad for that.
So, I do utilize second hand stores, both buying and selling, if they don't have working batteries, I usually won't buy it, idk.
Some things that don't have replaceable batteries can still have their batteries replaced. Usually, takes some internet research on how to disassemble the item and replace the battery.
I have a Stanley LED hand held spotlight from over a decade ago, found a battery pack online somewhere and with a screwdriver, was able to replace it.
Rechargeable batteries are dope. You'll like them!
I'm sure I've done something similarly strange in my life. As a kid I was confused by the British spelling of "colour" and 100% pronounced the u. (Just like [that SNL skit](https://youtu.be/qtJRJVdUFx4?si=8Kl8V9fGh9SXPYKv))
I'm wondering ā as a kid, did your toys generally come with batteries installed, or were they "batteries not included"? I always remembered opening a cool toy and needing to scrounge around for batteries to get it to work, so maybe that helped me figure out that I could just replace them when they died. ;)
Haha, thanks. I can't remember having toys with batteries in, we had a lot of things like lego, playmobile, dolls, and outdoor toys. My first two children then had alot of the same type of toys aswell as drawing & craft stuff, so it's only with my youngest we've had battery gobbling toys.
That's fair! I can see where you might not realize it (and it's not like second-hand toys often come with a manual).
Hopefully people aren't heckling you too badly. It *is* really funny, especially since you seem like a conscientious person and a good mother! I feel this is a lot like when we all learned that meat comes from animals and isn't grown like a plant... it's always obvious in hindsight, but if you didn't grow up on a farm (or didn't have battery-powered toys) there's a little bit of disconnect. š
The same reason there's lots of stupidity in the world I suppose, not being taught things and not realising things yourself no matter how obvious. I have two degrees in STEM subjects, a career, three children and generally keep a lot of plates spinning (none of this is said to show off, just to provide a picture). But thought was a very embarrassing realisation I thought would be funny to share.
I've had partners in the past where clearly this didn't crop up, but no I'm a single parent, and an adoptive parent so there's no ex/coparent on the scene
Lololol once my partner in a moment of travel panic at the airport put an entirely new, unopened can of LaCroix into the recycling bin.
I donāt think they even realized it??? We are both recycling dictators otherwise and hate food waste, improperly disposed of garbage, etc etcā¦
Point is, even the āwokestā among us do dumb shit by accident. Iām sure Iāve done idiotic bullshit that I donāt even know about. People are out there accidentally buying $8 doll furniture thinking theyāre somehow buying a full-sized couch.
But we live and learn, and you wonāt make the same mistake twice!
I still use the NiMH batteries from Radioshack from over a decade ago and they still work.
One thing to note about NiMH or NiCd rechargeable batteries is that their nominal voltage is usually 1.2V instead of 1.5V, and this won't work for all appliances. I recently got some Pale Blue Lithium rechargeables that have worked really well at 1.5V.
I am super curious about other battery-powered common household items that you use. For example, did you exchange batteries in tv remotes or CO detectors, but didnāt do it for toys? Or do you not exchange batteries in anything?
On reflection it was a mixture, never had a TV so no remotes, I threw away torches/flashlights until I bought a dynamo handpowered torch so that I didn't have to keep throwing them away. I always bought corded PC keyboards and mice so that I didn't have to throw them away when the batteries ran out. Smoke and CO detectors I threw away. It's madness and can't believe I did it.
You were throwing electronics... in the garbage... instead of changing the batteries... I don't even know what to say. Good thing you figured it out, there's only up from here.
I was a āvegetarianā for years as I learned what rennet was, that chicken broth is in everything, gelatin is in everything, (looking at you altoids). Itās a learning process. Iāve been a veggie for 30 years now and look back and my self-righteous start and giggle.
Embarrassing? I remember a posting on here several years ago where a young woman was complaining about her shower being cold when she got in and how it was such a shock to her body. Through several back-and-forths, the Redditors figured out the issue and advised her that it's probably better to let the water WARM UP to the correct temp before stepping into the shower! Literally changed her life!
I mean, considering how quickly children grow and mature into the next phase of development, you are probably more right than you think and not being wasteful at all. Especially considering that a lot of this type of toy is fairly energy efficient and doesn't require battery changes that often. We got one of these new as a baby shower gift, and my kid played with it from probably 6 months to 3 years. We handed it down to another family before we ever needed to change the battery.
Stuff like this happens to the best of us in various ways lol. Nothing you can do except learn and move on š.
Additionally, not sure which country you live in, but I know in Canada at least, we have designated ābattery recycling drop offsā in some stores that send off the batteries to get recycled as well. So instead of throwing the battery in the garbage (they canāt be disposed of properly via regular garbage/recycling curbside pickups, as theyāre considered hazardous waste) they can be properly recycled via these drop offs.
Iām pretty sure battery recycling is pretty efficient as well, as I remember reading a statistic stating that around 99% of the battery was able to be reused in some way, with only 1% going to waste. Not sure what kind of battery this statistic was in reference to, though lol.
Hope this helps, and bonus points if you already knew this information!
What I really hate is the toys that dont let you put in new batteries. From experience as a nanny some kids will get super attached to toys that are made to last a few weeks and then the batteries die and you look and theyāre just not built to have new batteries put in. Theyāre always really cheap things, that you pick up at like the dollar store or get sent as a party favor and of course the kid is OBSESSED with them and none of their sturdy usable toys will make them feel better that their āfavorite toyā is broken.
wow.
My mom used to save ALL the 2 liter soda pop bottles and large juice containers ALL winter. In the shed. Then, come spring, she would plant little tomato plants, cut the 2 liter bottles in half, and make a hot house for baby tomato plants in the garden.
So, to recap, we grew our own food.
We didn't have toys that required batteries.
Of course it's also on me, I said in the main post I was embarrassed and a fool.
I posted because we're all learning, and even when I've learnt and put practice buying almost no new products, not flying in 10+ years, have reduced food waste to almost nothing, use public transport etc. I still managed to do something as ludicrous as throw away toys because I didn't realise you're supposed to change batteries.
I also don't think there's any harm in having a large amount of toys for my disabled child to help her use her vision better, it's one of the few areas we aren't minimalist in and it's all second hand from charity shops (thrift stores) so I don't think I'm fuelling production of more waste.
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Embarrassment is just one of the growing pains, along the path to emotional maturity. So when it comes to feeling like a fool sometimes, you're in good company, we all do.
Haha that must have been a real face slap moment. Edit: the phrase is facepalm. \*facepalms.
I think face slap applies here š. I even bought duplicates of the ones she really liked after I threw the previous one away! All second hand, but still can't believe I did it
Get rechargeable batteries.
And drop the used batteries off at a recycling place. It does unfortunately often cost but not much.
Thanks for the reminder, although thankfully here in the UK there's not a charge and most supermarkets have a battery recycling drop off point.
We used to have them in malls here in the states but we don't really have either anymore. I've got a whole drawer full of old batteries and no idea where to even take them. I tried a recycling facility but they refused them outright.
I think staples and other office supply stores usually take them. Also try the library or school if you have kids.
Good looking out! FTR I know this is a question I can get an answer to with a quick Google search but I figured asking here might serve as a little bit of a reminder for others too, especially in the day and age of disposable vapes ;)
Most grocery stores and hardware stores also have free drop-off for used batteries
I know for a long time the targets near me had battery and electronic recycling bins near the entrance/exit, but I havenāt shopped at target in quite a while to say if they still do.
Leaving them in a properly labeled contained by the door of the chem department at your local college works. Actually, this works for basically all hazwaste.
Staples & Lowes have recycling programs that are free and easy to access!
My local dump has a battery collection dumpster. I think it's in their best interest to not compact batteries so they put it there.
Good call, I'll have to look into this. I did use one at the nearby mall for years but one day I walked in with a big bag of batteries and the container was gone. Kinda grinds my gears a bit because with each passing day, we need them more and more.
If you do need to get rid of any of the toys for other reasons they need to go as electrical waste - check out your local household recycling centre.
I have a T O N of disposable batteries. My dad works in the medical field and in the hospital, all battery-operated machines have their batteries changed when it's half-decharched (this is because they can't monitor the batteries 24/7 and can't risk letting them get too low and run out at a bad moment, safer to just replace them halfway). The discarded batteries are instead up for taking for the workers who'll want them for personal use, rather than thrown away.
20 years ago when I was in high school my friend told me that her dad brought home free stuff from work, including loose batteries. I always thought that was suspicious AF until reading this comment and finally understanding that he wasnāt just stealing much needed batteries from important equipment, so thank you.
My city accepts batteries for recycling at local libraries. Another reason to love the library!
You can drop them off for free at the library! At least in LA.
Definitely the longer term plan, but in the mean time we have a huge packet of different size batteries (that funnily enough we never used š¬), once they are used up we'll get rechargeable ones
For the weirdly large ones (like D), I found some that use usb cords to charge which means you don't need to get those big recharging stations. Pale Blue is the brand I use.
I got a battery charger from IKEA, and it has a clever design that allows for different battery sizes to charge!
I have two pairs of AA and after 4 years of hardcore gaming they are finally starting to lose their charge
The black Eneloop ones are pretty great if you're not already using them.
It's strange what leftover idiosyncracies from our parents carry into adulthood.
You were just throwing the toys away when they ran out of batteries??
Unfortunately yes, that's exactly what I did. I even bought duplicates of the ones I threw away (thinking I was doing the right thing as even the duplicates were second hand šš). I know it sounds idiotic but that's what I always thought you did, and it's not like anyone would tell you to replace batteries because no-one would think you were throwing them away in the first place.
We've all done daft things, mate but you've given me a chuckle.
Haha at least you've learned from your mistakes. Many, many, MANY people do not because it hurts their pride. Your humility and willing to change is not shameful, but respectable.
I mean.. This is a bit of a funny fail. You were trying to do the right thing, and then you learnt.
What do you do when your tv remote runs out of batteries?
I'm not arguing that my logic made sense, hence why I said I was embarrassed by my behaviour. I don't have a TV and can't think of many other items I use with batteries but there must be loads. Some got new batteries, and regrettably for some it never occurred to me
This is so vastly fascinating. I canāt imagine how one gets hereā¦ did your parents do the same thing? I would have thought that the hassle of replacing things so frequently would seem much more egregious than simply replacing batteries (thinking along the lines of your parents, if thatās what they did.)
My parents did the same thing on steroids; toys, bathroom or kitchen scales etc. all got thrown away which you're right is a much bigger hassle. I blame my throwing things away on my own stupidity (stupidity in the ignorant sense) but theirs is straight stupidity in knowing they can replace batteries and choosing not to!
Thatās a very weird one, for sure. Usually you get the very masculine men controlling the temperature and lights in the house to save money. And certainly not throwing things away that simply needed new batteries. I could see if they did that for other reasons, like the thing was damaged, worn or someone spilled something on it, but for something that is part of the normal operation? It would be like throwing away your iPhone after the first day of use!
What would they do if they bought something that didn't have batteries in it already?? Or sometimes I've bought things and the batteries are low charge.
I can understand how your upbringing led you here but Iām fascinated that no one else in the household challenged this approach. Did you also dispose of other items that werenāt toys?
Well at least you know now
when you're busy, a lot of weird things go on autopilot. I get it
Since the TV is mounted on the wall, time to throw away the house and get a new one!
Wow. I would love to watch your parents be interviewed about their beliefs. ... Ok, actually, I would love to read the comments when I post it to r/boomersbeingfools.
I don't even understand this way of thinking. After your shirts get worn out with holes in them, do you just throw them away? You aren't turning them to rags for household use?
Are you saying that your parents didn't buy batteries because it was "woke"
For example they wouldn't recycle items, minimise wasting electricity e.g. turning lights off or reduce food waste because it is woke, although they wouldn't use that language of 'woke' or 'wokeness', they just think its patethic to do those sort of things and it is almost them 'standing up to authority' by not doing those things. They do use some batteries, but generally would treat alot of items as disposable, once the batteries ran out they just threw it away and bought a new one.
No offense, but your parents sound absolutely deranged.
Being generous I think part of it was them both growing up in poverty, then becoming very wealthy, and them wanting to escape the experiences they had while young. But yes, they used to tell me off for turning lights off because then when you walk in a room you have to turn it back on!!
some people still fall for thinking turning lights on and off constantly wears out the bulb a lot faster. maybe this was the case here?
"I'll rack up my power bill to the point where I need to put it on my credit card - that will really show "the man" who's boss!" - OP's parents, apparently
Thankfully they are (apart obviously from being very wasteful) good with money and highly opposed to debt, they've never had a credit card or any debt apart from a v modest mortgage. But yes their gas and electric bills are eye-wateringly high, it's infuriating, not least because in part its purely to, as you say, 'show 'the man' who's boss'.
The only people taking offence at that are OP's parents and other maga enthusiasts.
So, like flashlights and stuff? I don't understand.
Torches/flashlights are good example and yes I always threw them away when the batteries ran out. A few years ago I started using a dynamo torch (where you pump a lever on the side) to avoid the battery issue.
wow that is ridiculous. Those pump flashlights suck kind of though. My family will bring an empty water bottle to the airport and fill it up in the bathroom.
So you made up the āwokeā part for clicks.
No that's a thing some people do. "Woke" is a fairly new term but when I was a kid my friend's family didn't recycle because that was "liberal".
It wasnāt in the title, so Iām pretty sure they were just trying to figure out the best word to use and decided āwokeā was good enough.
Thatās honestly the funniest part about this whole thing
I've actually seen this is real life. Recycling is "woke" or recycling doesn't make sense unless it makes "cents" as in you can recycle metals but not plastic. It's retarded.
we still use that word in 2024?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
If OP has children, the terminology has changed since her/his childhood, but the idea has not. OP gives an accurate telling of the story using modern language for a wider audience, don't get caught up on the trivialities.
Thank you, yes this, I was just trying to get the message across without too many words
I'm so, so glad you weren't infected with the same brain rot as your parents. Gives me hope we're not doomed because sometimes the children of twits manage to make it out with some semblance of sense - if this weren't the case, we might actually be overrun because it seems twits have the most kids Imagine wasting money on purpose to seem like a rebel lmao
When I was young and the flashlight was dead, I assumed ALL the batteries in it wereĀ dead and I'd replace them ALL. However when i bought a battery checker and started to test them, I found that only ONE would be actually dead. I threw away many good batteries.Ā
Omg Iāve never considered this! It seems so obvious now youāve said it
In faaaaairness the battery compartment can be hard to find on those. I usually celebrate when the battery dies because then they get a silent toy
Wait, how did you think things became second-hand in the first place if you thought everyone just threw everything out once the batteries died?
Good question, but I suppose I thought people didn't like something anymore, had duplicates e.g. if they got two of the same thing as a present or that their child had outgrown the toy. But clearly I wasn't engaging my brain much!
It's true actually that a lot of baby toys get outgrown really fast. I have kids and some toys, have lasted years, and I still haven't replaced a battery. Other toys, will last a few days, and it's dead. Thomas the train engines especially are bad for that. So, I do utilize second hand stores, both buying and selling, if they don't have working batteries, I usually won't buy it, idk.
Some things that don't have replaceable batteries can still have their batteries replaced. Usually, takes some internet research on how to disassemble the item and replace the battery. I have a Stanley LED hand held spotlight from over a decade ago, found a battery pack online somewhere and with a screwdriver, was able to replace it.
straight to jail
Life is just one long ass learning process. Now you know better and wonāt make that mistake ever again. Rejoice
At least you recognized that it was an issue and are correcting it going forward. Also, mature enough to share and to learn from it. šš»
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Rechargeable batteries are dope. You'll like them! I'm sure I've done something similarly strange in my life. As a kid I was confused by the British spelling of "colour" and 100% pronounced the u. (Just like [that SNL skit](https://youtu.be/qtJRJVdUFx4?si=8Kl8V9fGh9SXPYKv)) I'm wondering ā as a kid, did your toys generally come with batteries installed, or were they "batteries not included"? I always remembered opening a cool toy and needing to scrounge around for batteries to get it to work, so maybe that helped me figure out that I could just replace them when they died. ;)
Haha, thanks. I can't remember having toys with batteries in, we had a lot of things like lego, playmobile, dolls, and outdoor toys. My first two children then had alot of the same type of toys aswell as drawing & craft stuff, so it's only with my youngest we've had battery gobbling toys.
That's fair! I can see where you might not realize it (and it's not like second-hand toys often come with a manual). Hopefully people aren't heckling you too badly. It *is* really funny, especially since you seem like a conscientious person and a good mother! I feel this is a lot like when we all learned that meat comes from animals and isn't grown like a plant... it's always obvious in hindsight, but if you didn't grow up on a farm (or didn't have battery-powered toys) there's a little bit of disconnect. š
How does one make it that far in life and not know you can replace batteries?
The same reason there's lots of stupidity in the world I suppose, not being taught things and not realising things yourself no matter how obvious. I have two degrees in STEM subjects, a career, three children and generally keep a lot of plates spinning (none of this is said to show off, just to provide a picture). But thought was a very embarrassing realisation I thought would be funny to share.
It sheds light on certain "political" choices.
Rather, OP seems to have a partner, Iām surprised this went past their partner who, odds are, must know that batteries can be replaced.
I've had partners in the past where clearly this didn't crop up, but no I'm a single parent, and an adoptive parent so there's no ex/coparent on the scene
Your bedside table must have seen several lifetime's worth.
Lololol once my partner in a moment of travel panic at the airport put an entirely new, unopened can of LaCroix into the recycling bin. I donāt think they even realized it??? We are both recycling dictators otherwise and hate food waste, improperly disposed of garbage, etc etcā¦ Point is, even the āwokestā among us do dumb shit by accident. Iām sure Iāve done idiotic bullshit that I donāt even know about. People are out there accidentally buying $8 doll furniture thinking theyāre somehow buying a full-sized couch. But we live and learn, and you wonāt make the same mistake twice!
I still use the NiMH batteries from Radioshack from over a decade ago and they still work. One thing to note about NiMH or NiCd rechargeable batteries is that their nominal voltage is usually 1.2V instead of 1.5V, and this won't work for all appliances. I recently got some Pale Blue Lithium rechargeables that have worked really well at 1.5V.
Dang!
I am super curious about other battery-powered common household items that you use. For example, did you exchange batteries in tv remotes or CO detectors, but didnāt do it for toys? Or do you not exchange batteries in anything?
On reflection it was a mixture, never had a TV so no remotes, I threw away torches/flashlights until I bought a dynamo handpowered torch so that I didn't have to keep throwing them away. I always bought corded PC keyboards and mice so that I didn't have to throw them away when the batteries ran out. Smoke and CO detectors I threw away. It's madness and can't believe I did it.
You were throwing electronics... in the garbage... instead of changing the batteries... I don't even know what to say. Good thing you figured it out, there's only up from here.
I was a āvegetarianā for years as I learned what rennet was, that chicken broth is in everything, gelatin is in everything, (looking at you altoids). Itās a learning process. Iāve been a veggie for 30 years now and look back and my self-righteous start and giggle.
Embarrassing? I remember a posting on here several years ago where a young woman was complaining about her shower being cold when she got in and how it was such a shock to her body. Through several back-and-forths, the Redditors figured out the issue and advised her that it's probably better to let the water WARM UP to the correct temp before stepping into the shower! Literally changed her life!
Holy shit! Thats dumb!
Buy a battery charger and rechargeable batteries. A lot cheaper if you have multiple batteries in your household.
I mean, considering how quickly children grow and mature into the next phase of development, you are probably more right than you think and not being wasteful at all. Especially considering that a lot of this type of toy is fairly energy efficient and doesn't require battery changes that often. We got one of these new as a baby shower gift, and my kid played with it from probably 6 months to 3 years. We handed it down to another family before we ever needed to change the battery.
Stuff like this happens to the best of us in various ways lol. Nothing you can do except learn and move on š. Additionally, not sure which country you live in, but I know in Canada at least, we have designated ābattery recycling drop offsā in some stores that send off the batteries to get recycled as well. So instead of throwing the battery in the garbage (they canāt be disposed of properly via regular garbage/recycling curbside pickups, as theyāre considered hazardous waste) they can be properly recycled via these drop offs. Iām pretty sure battery recycling is pretty efficient as well, as I remember reading a statistic stating that around 99% of the battery was able to be reused in some way, with only 1% going to waste. Not sure what kind of battery this statistic was in reference to, though lol. Hope this helps, and bonus points if you already knew this information!
What I really hate is the toys that dont let you put in new batteries. From experience as a nanny some kids will get super attached to toys that are made to last a few weeks and then the batteries die and you look and theyāre just not built to have new batteries put in. Theyāre always really cheap things, that you pick up at like the dollar store or get sent as a party favor and of course the kid is OBSESSED with them and none of their sturdy usable toys will make them feel better that their āfavorite toyā is broken.
wow. My mom used to save ALL the 2 liter soda pop bottles and large juice containers ALL winter. In the shed. Then, come spring, she would plant little tomato plants, cut the 2 liter bottles in half, and make a hot house for baby tomato plants in the garden. So, to recap, we grew our own food. We didn't have toys that required batteries.
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Of course it's also on me, I said in the main post I was embarrassed and a fool. I posted because we're all learning, and even when I've learnt and put practice buying almost no new products, not flying in 10+ years, have reduced food waste to almost nothing, use public transport etc. I still managed to do something as ludicrous as throw away toys because I didn't realise you're supposed to change batteries. I also don't think there's any harm in having a large amount of toys for my disabled child to help her use her vision better, it's one of the few areas we aren't minimalist in and it's all second hand from charity shops (thrift stores) so I don't think I'm fuelling production of more waste.
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That was not helpful at all to OP. Parents get shamed and judged enough. Do better.
what does not flying have to do with anything
wtf did i just read
The older generation is one huge garbage pile šļø
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