I have been watching a show on VH1 called "You're Cut Off". It's about a bunch of spoiled little rich girls who's parents or husbands have grown tired of supporting them, so they cut them off. These girls are just pitiful! They lack the basic skills to take care of themselves because they have always been catered to. And they spend, spend, spend and are the some of the most ungrateful little brats you have ever seen. It's seeing people like this, that actually make me thankful that I can't give my kids everything they want. I used to feel bad that I couldn't give them whatever their little hearts desired, but as I grow older, I see my kids are far from deprived. They go to school in nice clothes. The older kids two have cell phones. They have plenty of electronic devices. They just don't have EVERY electronic device. Their cell phones are the free phones that you get with your plan and they have to do the dishes if they want to keep them. Dad and I pay for the plan, they can help us a little around the house! And my kids aren't too good to shop off of the clearance racks. In fact, they learned you get more by shopping off the clearance racks! I see how other kids act. Some act like they are entitled to anything and everything they want. And the sad thing is, their parents just give in to them! I will tell you, my kids never threw temper tantrums in the store because I wouldn't buy them something. The reason for this is because they knew a temper tantrum sure wasn't going to work with me! In fact, now they rarely ask for anything at the store. They have learned that I will probably say no, so they don't even waste their breath! Now if I offer, that's a different story!
I sometimes wondered if the kids really understood where I was coming from or they thought I was just a mean mom. Or if they thought that we were dirt poor because they didn't have everything their friends had. But Jordan eased my mind not long ago. On Halloween, we were trick or treating and there were kids everywhere. I made the comment that I was glad that we had parked and walked instead of trying to drive around with all of those little kids darting out everywhere. Dusty said "Yeah, if you hit a kid, we can get sued and we are broke". This just really hit a nerve with Jordan. He said"Dustin, we are NOT broke! There are kids in my school that wear the same thing 3 days in a row because they don't have any clothes to wear. We are NOT broke"! That just really touched my heart. It just showed me that he got it. He knows that even though he doesn't have everything he wants, he has enough and is far from deprived. And I'll never forget when Bryson was about 8 or so, that reality show "The Simple Life" with Paris Hilton was on. I asked Bryson "Wouldn't it be great to have all of that money? You could have anything you wanted!" Her response? "Mommy, if you had everything you wanted, what would you wish for?" My heart melted! Maybe my kiddos have helped to teach me a few things! I just wonder if any of the girls from that show will ever understand that life isn't about money, a fancy house or cars. And it's just sad that they have so much, but act so ungrateful and entitled! I am thankful for parents that taught me to be grateful for what I have. We didn't have a lot of money, so when we did get something nice, we appreciated it! And for the times that I didn't appear grateful, I am sorry! I now know how hard you guys worked to give us what we needed and wanted. I think that we have done a pretty good job of teaching our kids to be thankful for what they get. They are pretty darned good kids! And we are so lucky to have them!
I stole this quote from a friend's facebook page...I think it fits this subject and the way I feel about my family and my life.... "It does not matter how much money a family has. If there is enough love in the home, that family is richer than any millionaire ever could be". Yep, that pretty much sums it up!
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