i don't want to give my kids everything

Let me clarify this by saying that I think most of us out there want to give their kids everything they can.  I just don't think it's necessary.  I haven't been a parent yet, so I don't have a lot of experience with this, but I have met some spoiled kids.  I know some parents who buy their kids expensive shoes and clothes but don't pay their own rent.  I know some kids who've never been denied a thing in their lives.  Trust me.  Your kid doesn't need the unicorn rides at their birthday party, especially when the unicorn rides are an additional $300 more than the regular pony rides because they have to glue the sparkly horn to the pony's head to make it a magical unicorn.  They probably don't even need the regular pony rides.  In these situations, sure you're providing the kiddos with magical unicorn rides, but really you're just showing off for the other parents who then have to turn around and have something bigger than magical unicorns for their kids' parties, something like spaceship rides or something.  I'm not sure how the spaceship rides would work, except I know they'd be tiny and only fit one kid at a time and they'd probably only go to the moon or maybe Mars.  I mean, really what more do kids need at a party than cake, ice cream, friends, presents and maybe a pinata?  Pinatas are about as magical as it gets for kids.  Blind folds and sticks and candy wrapped in a colorful shape or animal made out of paper?  Could it get any better than that?

I may have digressed slightly from the point of my post.  I was inspired by a post that circulated Facebook about things kids need to hear - one of which was, "We can't afford it."  If more people said that to their kids instead of buying them totally pointless costumes for over a hundred dollars then maybe there would be more fiscally responsible adults in the world.

I want to be able to provide my kids with a nice life without spoiling them.  I want them to appreciate what they do have and not be envious of the things someone else has.  I may not succeed every time, but this is one of the things I want to strive for as a parent.


*Aside*  How about that spoiled eighteen year old girl who is suing her parents for financial support even though she moved out because they wouldn't let her see her inappropriate boyfriend?  Insane.