Today we venture out into the land of retail for pillows and underwear. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? LOL The kids think so! Eli is so happy to be able to get new pillows he can’t stand it. He’s been talking about it all week long. So today he will be a very happy eleven year old boy.
It’s funny what makes kids happy. For my kids, and probably many others, it is the simplest things. A pair of jeans from the thrift store, new socks, a new pillow. Some of the most basic items in everyday life. You read about and see on television some of the brattiest and most ungrateful kids….and you have to wonder, “Where are they?” Those kids certainly don’t exist in my home and probably not in the majority of the homes in America. Why not? What makes my kids different from “those bratty kids?”
Perhaps it is the economic level that the family lives at that makes the kids more appreciative of what they get and have. We live on a single income. A mechanic’s income. We live comfortably and maintain less then 1/4 the national norm for unsecured debt. We have a miniscule savings. Paying the few bills that we have can be a struggle sometimes. The kids have never been shielded from our financial struggles.
I think, being able to see their parents work hard to stay ahead of their debt has given an appreciation for what the kids are able to have. They are aware, also, of the sacrifices their parents make so that they have the necessities of life in Northern Minnesota. A few weeks ago I purchased, for myself, a new pair of sneakers. Sneakers….. less than $80 sneakers. When I put them on I was so happy, so thrilled to finally have some new shoes. The last pair of new shoes (sneakers) were bought for me by my Mother and have had to weather 3 winters up here in Minnesota. I have no winter boots, so the sneakers have seen more then a few blizzards walking the dogs. When the kids saw me dancing a little dance with my new sneakers they appreciated their own belongings just a little bit more. They are learning the true value of what they do own.
So it is off for Pillows and Underwear…..and maybe a Dairy Queen soft-serve dipped cone. I think the kids will like that.
I see some of these bratty kids in the stores--having a hiss fit because they can't have this toy or that doodad. It's gross.
ReplyDeleteHubby and I live quite simply. Our gifts to our grandson are not nearly as lavish as what the other grandparents do, but they are well thought out and he always gets so excited. If only all parents/grandparents would cut back on all the junk..........
I can honestly say that my kids have never had a hissy fit in the stores....or at home either. At the first sign of bratty-ness we would turn right around, leave our buggy full of food or whatever, and leave. They learned very, very quickly never to act out in stores or restaurants. We always told the kids that we are trying to raise them so that they can "fit into society" and not be a pariah.
ReplyDeleteMy Mom used to lavish stuff on my kids....I finally had to put my foot down and tell her to stop. She was awful! LOL Constantly buying for the kids....I tried to tell her what they needed was her presence, not her presents.
I like that....
ReplyDeleteSometimes I want to smack the parents when I see bratty kids. LOL
ReplyDelete