But I NEED a tuba!

Daniel wants a tuba.

"Daddy, may I pleeease have a tuba?"

"No, Daniel, I'm sorry, but we can't buy you a tuba."

"But I need a tuba!" (tears welling in his eyes)

"Daniel, one day, when you're bigger, and if you're in a band, we can rent you a tuba if that's the instrument you want to play. But we can't buy one, they're too expensive" (about $6,500)

"But I need it today!" (full on crying now)

"Daniel, no, it's too big and too expensive. You can still pretend to play a tuba like you were before, but we can't buy a tuba."

"Waaaaaaaaaaa"

At this point I'm wondering how we got here, and why the issue is so emotional. So I walk through, again, the situation with a tuba, and tell Daniel I'm glad he wants to play a tuba but that he'll have to wait until later in life. In the meantime, you can pretend, I say. I don't know why I said this because every time my parents told me this growing up I KNEW it wasn't as good as the real thing, and it only frustrated me more.

"But, Daddy, I need the tuba for my polka band!" (full on crying)

"Daniel, I'm sorry, we're done talking about this. We can't get a tuba. I already explained what you can do instead."

"WAAAAA........(sniff).......then can I get an accordion instead?"