(We have a Power Wheels Jeep we bought at a yard sale a couple years ago. The battery died recently. It wouldn’t take a recharge. We bought a new battery. They’ve been driving it around all morning.)
Him: Dad, we stopped using the Jeep.
Me: Why?
Him: We didn’t want to waste the battery. We want to save it for later!
Me: Oh. That’s good thinking. But you know, the battery doesn’t need to be saved. You can use it all day. If the battery runs out we can recharge it overnight.
Him: ?
Me: Okay. You know how batteries run out, right? When this runs out, we plug it into the wall with a special tool called a “recharger”, and that gives it new energy.
Him: Why didn’t we do that for the old battery then?
Me: Good question. We did. But each time we recharge it, it comes back just a little bit less than it did before. So if you use it enough times recharging doesn’t do very much. We used it so many times that it was all used up. That’s why we needed to buy a new battery.
Him: Oh! But we don’t use it very much.
Me: Sure you do. We’ve had it for two years. And don’t forget that Mom bought it from another kid. So there’s all the times he used it also. That’s a lot, right?
Him: What? I thought we got it from Santa!
Me: Um… what?
Him: We got it for Christmas one year, don’t you remember?
Me: Really? Are you sure?
Him: Dad! Yes! It was in our driveway at Christmas! Santa brought it!
Me: Uh.. I’m not sure about that. Anyhow, why don’t you go play on it some more.
Him: Okay (going down stairs) but we really did get it at Christmas.
Me: [weakly] Well, maybe Santa got it from the other kid.
Him: Dad! Why would Santa need to steal a Jeep!!!??
Me: Okay. You win. Go outside and play.
