Quote From: mauilover2I'm going through the same thing here. How pathetic - it never stops. Last year, among others (including a great week holiday in Las Vegas to see all the Christmas lights), we all got cell phones - great family tool - we love being in contact through calls and text messages, however, it costs $200 a month on top of the $80 a month land line phone.
Now my 14 yr old wants only "three things Mom" - an XBOX 360 - $500 , an IPOD like his sisters $180 and a paint ball gun $250. My daughters list is kinder - there's only like 50 small things including the new IPOD (hers is 3 months old but there's a smaller one now).
The thing is we are all my kids have. No other family. We have never had help in this area - we were Santa and family all wrapped up. Everyone else we knew had grandmas and grandpas - most with several different sets thanks to remarriages, etc. And everybody bought a ton of stuff and my kids had to be able to have a good Christmas too. We've had to compete with this crap of everyone going beserk at Christmas... and this will be the 16th year of it.
Now the hard part is we are truly blessed to be able to actually afford it. So therein lies the problem. I CAN afford it. Both my kids are great, down to earth, achievers in school (for the most part) my son is in the drama performance tonight. My daugter just came back from a leadership conference (for handpicked teens in two provinces). They don't appear to have bad attitudes like spoiled or anything.
But its been -25 this week and I saw many down-and-out people shivering under thin blankets and I could be sick. I am really struggling here. A big part of me wants to take the money and as a family give it someone less needy. I mean my kids get it good every day of the year like someone else said. What a great idea to give back on that one day. I am sick of the commercialism and why can't I space out the things I buy, over the year. Why should i buy in to this crap in December EVERY YEAR. Sheesh. I am being used by the big commercial marketing gurus.
Whatever.... just had to vent I guess - and now I have to go into town to meet a girlfriend for breakfast and a day of shopping... because.... my GOODNESS tomorrow's December already and well Christmas is ALMOST HERE.......... AAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaghhhhhhhhhHHHHHHH
We've shared the same one cell phone for five years--no camera, no MP3 player, no graphics, no text messaging, just a phone. We're just now thinking of getting a second one (the most basic one we can find) for safety reasons. My parents use one when they travel so they don't have to use their hosts' land line and I keep one with me since I drive through the city to work. We buy the fewest minutes we can and use them evenings and weekends for the free long distance.
My parents got the best they could for us (to the extent that they could afford it, but there was no going into debt at Christmas) when we showed a serious interest in something. We both have good cameras that we use a lot. I got musical instruments. My brother, who is in graduate school, just got a lap-top. So, they did buy us some "extravagant" things but they saved the big purchases for things that we either really needed or that could be used productively (I took the pictures at my brother's wedding last year and they came out great!).
Why not plan a family trip or activity instead? Most people can get a little time off around the holidays and everyone seems to be lamenting these days that they spend so little time with one another, anyway.
It's holiday time again, and parents everywhere are figuring out how they're going to afford what's on their kids' Christmas list. Theresa is a single mother who is extremely stressed out because she says her 17-year-old daughter, Bailie, is spoiled. Bailie expects her mom to buy her new clothes, a computer, purses -- much more than Theresa can afford. Theresa says that Bailie even leaves notes around the house saying, "Clean my room!" How has Theresa, who's unemployed, been able to keep up with Bailie's demands? She reveals a dark secret that she's been keeping from everyone, including Bailie. And what does Bailie want most from her mom that she's never gotten? Then, 24-year-old Katie says that she's always been handed everything she wants, and if she doesn't get her way, she begs and whines to get her dad to foot the bill. He still pays for her gas, insurance, furniture and clothing. Now, Katie says her 4-year-old daughter is growing up to be just like her, and it's Grandpa’s fault. Plus, Dr. Phil and Robin have signed on to be the national spokespeople for Toys for Tots. To kick off this year's holiday toy drive, they head to Texas Motor Speedway to cheer on the UPS Store/Toys for Tots racing team. Talk about the show here.
