Thankful...

Does this conversation sound familiar to any of you? 'Tis the season!

"Look at this, Mom! I've never seen it anywhere else. We were just at Lakeville's Target and they didn't have it. Even Toys R US is out of stock. Can I puuuuullllleeeeasse get it?"

"It's so close to Christmas. Let's go home right now and put it on your list!"

"But it'll be gone by then. No one will get it in time. I'll use my own money. (The big tears start filling up the eyes, the whining begins). PUUUUULLLLEEEASSSE Mom! Everyone will have it and I won't. I wish I had Josh's life. His parents would buy it. He has a pool, an Xbox AND PS3. He has all those games too! You know...The ones you won't buy! My life totally sucks. His parents don't care about anything. 

As parents, it's so hard to hear the words, "Everyone will have it except me"....There is a part of us that remembers being young and how important it is to just fit in. We want our kids to fit in. We don't want to alienate them from their friends or their sense of "normal".

However, I also strongly believe in keeping things simple for our kids. So much of our society is absorbed in "keeping up with the Jones'" and while I wish I could have vacation homes in warm places and BMW's and in- ground pools, I don't. But I do have a nice, warm house. I have a turkey dinner on my table. I have a loving family and clothes on my back and a little money in my pocket (Ok, this sounds like bad lyrics from an old song?!). For these things, I'm an eternally grateful. This is a lesson I want my kids to learn too. It's not about keeping up with their friends. It's about being content and grateful for what we do have. It's about sharing our time and wealth with others who are not as fortunate.

It's hard not to covet your neighbor, but every time I do, I try to remember how lucky I am. In this world, there will always be someone who has more than me, but there is also someone who has a lot less. My wish for my family this year is that we find the ones who have a lot less and try to make their holiday season as memorable and warm as ours.

UPDATE: By the way, Dr Phil calls "Overindulgence the worst form of child abuse"...so, it's not about not having the money, it's about making a conscious decision NOT to spend it! And the holidays are the best example of this. I think it's a great time to teach our kids that just because they have a full wish list doesn't mean they get it all.