Where children are concerned, my first instincts are to extrapolate from Farmer John's suggestion and give china dolls and lead toy soldiers.
If this has the desired long-term results then it will not be a recurring problem.
I am currently faced with finding something suitable for a 12-year-old boy who spends every waking hour watching football or supposedly 'funny' clips on a cell-phone and a 21-year-old girl who actually looks 13 who I am (slowly) teaching to cook. They come from a Jamaican mountain village where there is no running water (actually I shouldn't comment on that as we don't have running water at this house either), electricity during alternate weeks and cell coverage is sporadic at best.
I have observed two distinct reactions to going into a shop with them: first they look in awe and don't say anything because it seems to be a dream; then they want to buy everything in the shop in case it isn't there on another day.
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