Following a family budget is important. Yes, we all may stumble and have to borrow from Peter to pay Paul once in awhile, but not only is it good to stay out of debt, but it is teaching our children valuable life lessons as well. As much as we may want to give our children everything-- what they really need is not a playroom full of stuff but a playroom full of memories. It is the time we spend investing in our kids that they will remember. The fancy toys and games are great, but if you can't afford them they are not worth the price.
One of my favorite memories as a kid comes from Saturday mornings. Dad would take us with him to work (he was an assistant superintendent of a school) and while he was getting things done us kids would run upstairs (the upstairs had 1 long hallway) go up the ramp to one of the classrooms, get the chairs with wheels and race down the hallway. Dad would come up and join us sometimes, or when his work was done we would all go play in the school's gym. Those days are never to be forgotten and they didn't cost my parents a penny! Yes, I appreciate all that they did spend on us (especially my education) but it isn't about the money it is about knowing that they loved us and loved being with us.
I want my little snowflake to have the same sorts of memories. I want her to remember the trips, the crazy things we did as a family, the time we invested in her. In my eagerness to give her such memories I have found Pintrest to be a wonderful wealth of ideas. I can log on and found lots of ideas of things to do with her that are fun, free or very cheap and most of all mean we are doing things as a family. I have ideas for all seasons and some great ideas for her birthdays!
One of my favorite ideas for her birthday is to fill her room with a bunch of balloons so that when she wakes up she wakes up to a new world in her bedroom and she can jump right into celebrating! Balloons are cheap, so this is a bread and water way to make memories!
I like the winter activity of filling balloons (yes I love balloons) with water and food coloring. You freeze them and then cut away the balloon and you have giant marbles to play in the snow (or just the cold ground) with, and the best part-- no mess! They just eventually melt away. How much fun will this be, playing together, and beforehand choosing colors together.
You can also make homemade (and non toxic for those little mouths that just have to taste it) play dough out of flour, water, salt and food coloring. Cheap, quick, and provides hours of fun. Of course we should be letting our kids help cook (with supervision of course), wash the dishes, and we should always be reading to them.
So, no maybe I'll never be able to afford to give Punky jr (and any siblings she may have) a mansion full of goodies, but her daddy and I definitely have the budget to give her our love, wisdom, and attention and isn't that a better world to live in anyway!?!
No comments:
Post a Comment