Some people have never known an economy that wasn’t difficult.  Today more and more families are feeling the crunch, the despair, and the no end in site.  Unfortunately, things are NOT going to turn around any time soon. 

One of the issues faced is the fact that most parents give their children more than they give themselves; for many reasons.  Giving material goods to a child makes up for a parent’s having to be away at work, coming home too tired, missing school functions, feeding them frozen dinners, and the list goes on.  Bottom line, we want our children happy.  Not a new thing, I know.  But we do things to make our children happy in ways that offer a “quick fix”.  We want to see our children happy.  We want them to have all the opportunities that we did or didn’t have as children.  We want them to be one-up in the future world that will be filled with things we’ve never dreamed of.

We want to give our children happy memories.  We can’t really give them ours, because the world is not the same; most of us wouldn’t think of giving our children the same childhood freedoms we had because of fear factors. We all know what they are. So if we can’t let them roam around and experience life with the neighborhood kids in the same way we did on our Huffies and big wheels, forts and middle of the street jump roping, street hockey, and neighborhood hide-and-seek, what’s left but to buy them gadgets and other consumer goods to keep their minds off wanting to go outside.

And certainly children of today are growing up in a fast paced world filled with changes that outdo the present, every single month.  We ourselves have seen a drastic change in technology alone (not to mention foods and food availability, shops, clothes, music, the list goes on and on).  We see this.  We want to make sure our children catch all the opportunities that may be available to them.    We want them to be able to make money in their future, money that was so hard to make ourselves, so that these items can be easily attainable by our children if they wish to have them.  And yeah, sure, we too want to enjoy, for example, the conveniences of internet and cell phones and the like, so what better excuse than to let them have it.  Makes us feel less selfish and assures us that our children will “fit in”.

Offering your child exposure to up to date technology is an important one.  The only way to get it, however, is with money, whether it be from our own pockets, a relative with money, or a beneficiary with money.  It is possible that one can get a grant, but that possibility is slim.  The public library does not offer enough computers, speed, time, equipment, or applications, (to name a few downfalls), to really expose your children to enough computer technology.  Buying a computer is pricy.  Buying a computer that does everything it should for all the available software and gaming out there, even more pricey.  And why have a comper without also having internet, I mean that’s become the point of having a computer now. Oh yea, and that’s another thing; you can’t get internet for 5 or 20 dollars a month any more; even the slowest. 

Then there’s cell phones, texting, aps, ringtones, photos, internet access, wi-fi and blue tooth capabilities, the cost of doing all these things, the emotional and social issues that come with not being able to.

And of course there is X-Box, Playstation, Wii, and other gaming…

Now here’s the thing, the expense of all these high priced technical gadgets, may, in the end, be well worth the cost.  If we go the route of “5 and dime” type items, items that are cheaper and easier to buy, we may very well be putting your children at major risk, unknowingly:

The frustration is very real, and so is the challenge, for every parent to keep their children safe, no matter what the economy. Having money to spend on your children doesn’t necessarily make it any easier to raise them, but it certainly can help you make choices you wouldn’t otherwise have.  Bum deal.

At the end of the day, warm hug, a sweet smile, an I love you, and a shared moment, can offer something that no money can buy either of you. These are the safest and most meaningful things you can give.  These are the things they will remember always, and so will you.  The investment is free, and yes indeed, priceless.

*Photos courtesy Google Images