Lily loves wrapping paper (Photo credit: shannylynne)
This is a tough time of year. And this has been a tough year.
Do you want to know a secret? Even in families where no homes or jobs were downsized this year, holidays can be difficult. Nobody wants to admit it, but the gaps between what we WANT and what we actually HAVE…. between what we TRY and what actually HAPPENS…. can hurt.
And that can be especially painful when we see it in our children.
Contrary to popular culture, pain is not the enemy. Pain is a warning. What you’re seeing — while completely “normal” — is not good for your kids.
While nobody wants to talk about it, almost every parent or grandparents has experienced it: that awful feeling in the pit of the stomach when you look around at how much time and money you spent on holiday gifts only to see them tossed aside as you realize that your little ones still want MORE.
UGH.
MORE. It’s in our genes. To eat more food, get more ‘stuff,’ conquer more space…. it’s one of those survival ‘things’ that’s been with us for a long time.
It’s in our culture. To buy now and pay later…. play before you pay…. it’s one of those marketing things that’s been with us for almost as long.
But if the past year has shown us anything at all, it is that ‘business as usual’ is not working for a lot of us. We need to do better and we need to do it now. Especially where our children and our grandchildren are concerned.
We need to help them get back to REAL skills and values that will carry them through the hard times… to provide them with a foundation that will leave them on their feet no matter what life throws their way.
And “something for nothing” and “too much too soon” are not it…. but using every day activities to teach your kids winning habits for a lifetime just might be.
