Better Off Then Their Parents

The other day (before Christmas) I heard one of the Kardashians or some other person who is famous for being famous say something like that. But, the way she said it was like she wanted her kid to HAVE more then she has or had. I don't think that is the true meaning of the quote. And it sure isn't what I want for my kids.

Let me tell you about my first Christmas. The first one I remember, anyway.

I was around six years old. I did not get up early as a child and my stepmother, Beth woke me up. Or rather she bellowed from the living room for me to come out of my room. I was groggy and slightly confused. I remember walking down the hall, rubbing my eyes and suddenly my father was yelling at me. Yelling that I did not appreciate all that he did for me and that I needed to get back to my room and "DON'T COME OUT TILL YOU CAN SHOW SOME APPRECIATION!"

The following year there is a picture of me holding my hand to my chest gasping. I can see that picture in my minds eye as clear as if it were taken yesterday. I remember not seeing anything that morning, as I was just as groggy as the prior year. I surely was not going to get yelled at the same way I did last year. So I faked it.

As a child I walked on egg shells. I was always worried about getting yelled at or worse.

As a parent I try so hard to have patience. I am working daily on it.


I want my kids to have more then I had as a child. Not more stuff. Not more possessions. I want them to have more love, more understanding, more respect! I don't want them to have to experience a lot of the things I experienced and know they could careless about the material things, at least right now anyway.