A child is pestering her father about the things in a catalogue that she wants and the father replies:
「そんなもん見るな見るなっ。 ほしくなっても空しいだけだぞ。」
Such is life, don't look, don't look. Even if I don't want to it's nothing more than futile (my translation attempt)
Am I correct in thinking that this is the father talking to himself, and hoping that if he doesn't look at the catalogue the problem will go away, and then realising that resistance is hopeless? Or, have I got this translation completely wrong?