Object Lesson Fail

So as I've mentioned (or should have), Jon and I teach the 5-7 year-olds in our church. This week the lesson was on the gift of the Holy Ghost. We had an object lesson that did not go exactly as planned.

I brought in an old gift that is now broken. We talked about how it used to be really cool, but has become considerably less so since it broke. Jon asked the kids if they could think of any gift that would last forever, that would never, ever become worn out, or broken, or boring. Obviously the answer was supposed to be the Holy Ghost. The answer the children came up with? Pillow Pets. They would be really hard to rip. No, they don't have any pets that could destroy them. They could always be washed if they got dirty. Even grown-ups need something to hug sometimes (this is a fair point, as I myself have one).

Asked if they could think of anything else (sometimes you have to choose your battles), they proceeded to list other toys and potential gifts, including mattresses (seriously, a five-year-old thinks a mattress is a good gift?). Sigh.