Today, Prince Charming and I were discussing the budget. There are a lot of extra expenses this month and we are trying to fit everything in, and then on top of it, there some extras at Princess Belle's Club that we would like to get her involved in because she desperately wants to. Anyway, we were talking about how there was one day camp near the end of the month, I may be able to squeeze the extra money out for her and how I wasn't going to be able to get the veggies for the fund raiser at the beginning of the month that I had been planning to and just generally prioritizing our expenditures while driving to get some gas. The music was playing and the kids had been listening to it, so we had no idea that she was even aware of us talking. But Princess Belle was and she spoke up and told us that she didn't need to go to any of the day camps that she had been begging to attend, that way we wouldn't have to spend the money. We quickly explained that we would do our best, and that it wasn't her job to worry about money.
But truthfully . . . it made me sad. I hate that when I was a kid, I NEVER asked for the extra stuff, the class ring, the class shirt, the field trips, the fun lunches, we were broke and I knew it so I didn't ask rather than make mom sad that she had to say no. I don't want that for my girls. I know that this was an off month, and we will do better and we will be able to get her the extra stuff other times, but I want to get her every day camp she wants, I want to participate in the veggie fund raiser, I want to do it all for her, but when the veggie fund raiser, three day camps, and the other money involved in the only club she is in all falls in the same month, it is just really hard. I honestly felt like crying. I want to give her everything, I want her to feel like she has a wonderful childhood.
Now on to the good part. When we got home, we pulled out the things we had bought at the thrift shop last time. We put together the $5 eisel and the $2 table for the kids. Princess Belle and Princess Magpie ran right over, hooked some paper up to it and started drawing. Princess Belle (forgetting all about the day camps) told me it was the best day ever and she was a lucky girl. So at least she feels good about things. It made me smile.
3 comments:
There is another way to look at this though... Learning to deal with the small disappointments in life now (the occasional missed outing, etc) will help to teach her how to deal with the bigger disappointments later. It's not always a good thing to protect your kids from everything. The trails in your life, and how you are taught to deal with them, help form who you become later.
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I was thinking along the same lines....
What a wonderful gift you are giving her, letting her hear her parents communicate over issues. What a great lesson that was caught about priorities, and how taking care of things at home is important.
What an amazing daughter you have that at a young age she is learning how to be self-less and not self-absorbed.
It is never the stuff that makes the childhood wonderful... it is the love.
I read your blog a lot but just haven't commented yet, but wanted to let you know that you're a great Mom! We don't always get to give our kids what they want, but we do the little things that make them happy as well as create great family memories.
I have listed you as a reciever of The Versatile Blogger award on my blog. Please stop by to pick it up when you can!
Blessings,
Jonie
www.busybeesarewe.blogspot.com
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