This is heartbreaking. The casual cruelty to very small kids in the name of consumerism is impossible to watch.

We all have to answer difficult questions. I had to explain to Klara where her brother is, why she only has one grandpa and can’t see her other grandma. None of this was easy but I didn’t just lie to her and say they don’t exist. She’s not a toy I bought at a store. She’s a human being who is entitled to infirmation about herself, her origins, and her close relatives.

Consumerism is very scary because people see absolutely nothing but themselves, their momentary whims, and their consumer choices.

When Klara begins to act out, scream, refuse or insist, what helps is to ask, “Do you want a hug?” In about 80% of cases, it turns out that what she wants is precisely a hug and not a logical argument as to why she shouldn’t be screaming, as I originally thought.