Random thoughts about the added benefits of “sheltering your children”…
Being “deprived” (of course I put that in quotations because it is only perceived from the outside…) has huge advantages–your children become so easy to please!
Commercials.
As economic pressure squeezes us, I am so thankful that we DON’T feel the pressure at Christmas to fill Santa’s shoes or to break the bank so our children don’t feel left out when they return to school.
I heard a woman in the store say she had gone to every store she could think of looking “for that one thing her child had to have” but to no avail.
We don’t really keep commercialization away from our children (we do get out, you know), but they aren’t bombarded with commercials for the latest “gotta have it” toy, nor do they hang out with children who are. Their peers aren’t really into the latest gadgets either, so Christmas shopping is so much easier in that respect.
Santa.
Since we don’t “do Santa”, (be aware, I’m not a “Santa is too closely spelled like Satan” kind of mom ;-), we just have a number of reasons why we choose not to make the focus of Christmas a fictitious character), it relieves us of a tremendous amount of financial pressure.
We are free to focus on really talking about giving and the meaning of Christmas (“every good and perfect gift is from above”) without the added burden of having to represent the guy in the red suit who has an endless supply of cash.
And reality is, our children know we live tightly, and they are sensitive to that. They are thrilled that they know they’ll be getting some things for Christmas, but they don’t expect too much. One of them said, “Mom you can just get me like two things?” *smile*
Hannah Montana
Yeah, they know who she is, but they are all annoyed by her constant presence in every check out line, thank the Lord.
I remember riding with some friends last year with my 6-year-old daughter at the time. I heard my friend’s daughter gasp…”YOU DON’T KNOW HANNAH MONTANA?!” It was too funny, but it is sad that a teenage icon represents such importance in the measurement of “socialization”.
Whatever the newest game machine is.
Even I don’t know that, but it hasn’t hindered my life a bit 😉 Really, who can keep up with head-spinning technology? And are we really the dumb consumer they think we are–that the X-box is “so 2007″ (I have no idea what year that was popular, so don’t laugh.)
Soft Drinks
Don’t get me wrong, we like soft drinks, we just don’t usually keep them in the house–too tempting. But every now and then, at a party or something, the kids will get a taste. So this year, Avi asked for a Sprite in her stocking. Lol! How easy is that! Yes, deprivation can be sweet 😉
You’d be surprised how not knowing things really doesn’t affect your level of happiness, or maybe it does, in a positive way. My children are happy. I’m so thankful. They don’t feel deprived, even though some of their toys will not be brand new.
The proverb really is true, “too much honey makes one sick of honey” (paraphrased).
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How cute about Avi asking for a Sprite in her stocking!! My kids are the same way, and I wouldn’t want it any other way, thank the Lord.
We too live ‘simple’.
My kids rarely drink soda; it is something saved for birthday parties….even on the rare occassion we have gone out to eat, we get water.
My kids do have a few ‘gadgets’, but there are rules…like time limits, not everyday….and i take them away for the summertime.
Christmas…my daughter just said in the bath last night, as she was tallying up her latest ‘dollar store gift run’-that it is so much fun to give! I then asked it is more fun for her to give or receive, hoping she would be hoenst with herself. She answered giving, and then added why-because it ‘makes her feel so good inside’….now, not that I agree that is EVERY reason to give, it is more just a ‘by-product’ of giving is that it gives us joy.
Santa-as a child, i could not wrap my head around why on earth my parents would let a complete stranger in our home. It really freaked me out. On top of that, why would some guy, who i had NO relationship with and never bothered with me any other time of year-why would he suddenly appear, giving me stuff? Weird. Santa, aside from not promoting a “Jesus is the reason” mindset-doesnt align with anything else I have taught my kids, socially. I am not against Santa…I just think he is another thing that has become distorted by society, along the way…..
AM
Haha my boyfriend went to Target yesterday to find his sister Pictionary, and described it as a “Hanna Montana Shrine,” but alas… no Pictionary. 😛
I really agree with your simple lifestyle and way of living. After this Christmas, my husband and I are going to talk about the “endless spending” and finances. I think I am beginning to realize that too much can be too much (although some people would like to think that too much is never enough).
However, it will be difficult for me to “skim down” because I am so used to living “high on the hog,” which translates into wanting what my eyes see ALL the time. It’s just over-indulgence, and I need to start growing out of it.
Anyway, thank you for the reminder of living simply. Even if you don’t have children (which I don’t, unfortunately), you can still apply the principles you talked about to an adult life-style.
P.S. I HATE Hannah Montana! Arrrrgh!
I’d like to add another bonus of “sheltering” your children: language. They are not constantly bombarded with to swear words, blasphemy (OMG), or poor grammer which can all develop into hard-to-break habits of speech.
We also do the soda in the stocking thing…while we do have it occasionally on a special night for a special reason, it usually is just that: special. I am so thankful that my kids don’t watch tv with commercials, I can’t imagine how we would be able to afford a Christmas with those sorts of expectations placed on us.
We also do the soda in the stocking thing…while we do have it occasionally on a special night for a special reason, it usually is just that: special. I am so thankful that my kids don’t watch tv with commercials, I can’t imagine how we would be able to afford a Christmas with those sorts of expectations placed on us.
This is so true Kelly. I agree with everything you said. Epecially Santa!
The Xbox 360 did come out around 2007, but it is still popular. LOL
“Be aware, I’m not a “Santa is too closely spelled like Satan” kind of mom”
Thank God 🙂
Everything you mentioned here doesn’t sound like deprivation, just common sense. Best thing of all is that you appear to be the type of mom who explains to her children why they’re deprived of certain things. I don’t believe in monitoring everything my older kids do, but my gosh: if I could have avoided just a few seconds of disturbing TV shows or movies as a kid, I would have. I don’t even want my teen kids seeing otherwise good shows that have constant heavy, depressing and graphic elements, like Law and Order. There are a few idiotic chapter books I plan to barr them from as well, at grade school level.
Plus, I think Miley Cyrus is adorable, but my kids will have to cope with calmer, more intelligible entertainement than Hannah Banana. I know a brilliant, precious 12-year-old actress who watches similar stuff and is wonderfully grounded and mature, but I still want my kids to get used to less noise and more intellectual stuff; it’s far more promising.