What’s the most amazing thing your parents have done for you?

suki1964

Other then create me ( which my father denied)

SFA

What do I do for my children/grandchildren - believe in them, accept them for who they are - warts and all and encourage them

Most of all Love them - no matter

Ches

Adopted me and gave me a wonderful childhood.

mollsnan

Loanranger wrote: »

Gave me life.

Well this really made me think! I don't have one answer, but growing up as the eldest of nine with money scarce, I always felt secure. We didn't always have the latest clothes or toys etc., but I always felt safe! Also we are all good cooks, no-one actually taught us, we just saw and learnt. My brothers could all cook, knew how to look after babies, clean, sew a hem etc. All appreciated by their other halves. Although not well off, my father and mother would have been appalled if we hadn't handed in a purse/wallet/money we found. "That could be all someone has to live on" was their mantra. So Honesty is another gift. Generousity is another "a giving hand never wants".
All their sayings we never really heeded, now are gifts that we remember at various times when things are hard. "The helping hand you need is on the end of your arm!"
Patience we learnt from the poor Dad who got up out of his warm bed at all hours, several times a night, to escort one or other of his five teenage daughters to the outside loo, cause they ŵere afraid in the dark!
Too many to list I think!

tooties

glad i'm not the only one with awful parents, actually i find it awkward using the term parents because they never have been parents.

regards

duchy

My parents gave me the gift of staying at home with my son when he was a baby.

I had intended returning to work when my son was two months old - not because I wanted to but because we couldn't afford for me not to.
My parents came to me and asked me how much a week we were better off after paying for childcare , fares etc - I told them the figure-it wasn't massive but enough to keep our heads above water (My husband worked too and we knew his pay would increase massively in a year or two- and it did). They then said rather than invest a lump son for my son they wanted to use the money to give their grandson the gift of his Mum at home for six months and pay me an allowance of that amount weekly for six months.

It was the most wonderful gift - and it also meant my parents got to see a lot more of their only grandchild as I had time to visit very often (usually every other day at least).

What none of us knew was that two weeks after I eventually returned to work (and in that time had found a better paid more local job working 3 days a week instead of 5) my Dad was to literally drop dead completely unexpectedly.

He adored my son and had got to spend so much time with him -time he would have missed out had I gone back to work as planned -and although it still hurts he never saw my son grow up and my son has no memories of him- it's a great comfort to know he got to spend so much time with him in the last months of his life.

My parents weren't wealthy and could only afford to give me this gift as they'd just sold their business and retired and for the first time in their lives had real money to spare. Looking back the timing was amazing -some things are just meant to be.

thriftwizard

Long ago, when my father died unexpectedly from a heart attack, leaving just £27 in the bank & no assets, my mother, who originally trained as an opera singer & was tipped for the top, was told to put my younger brother & I into children's homes & forget she'd ever had us. The idea being that she should go on to make a new life for herself & re-marry.

She didn't. Knowing what we now know about life in children's homes in the 70s, thank Heaven for that. She had just a month to get out of our tied accommodation, but she did it, found a job that left her with some time free for us, and built us a new life on a shoestring although her heart was breaking.

Now she's 89 and in need of a bit of help; I'll never be able to thank her properly for all that she did for us back then, but I'm really glad to have the opportunity to do some things for her now.

MandM90

duchy wrote: »

My parents gave me the gift of staying at home with my son when he was a baby.

I had intended returning to work when my son was two months old - not because I wanted to but because we couldn't afford for me not to.
My parents came to me and asked me how much a week we were better off after paying for childcare , fares etc - I told them the figure-it wasn't massive but enough to keep our heads above water (My husband worked too and we knew his pay would increase massively in a year or two- and it did). They then said rather than invest a lump son for my son they wanted to use the money to give their grandson the gift of his Mum at home for six months and pay me an allowance of that amount weekly for six months.

It was the most wonderful gift - and it also meant my parents got to see a lot more of their only grandchild as I had time to visit very often (usually every other day at least).

What none of us knew was that two weeks after I eventually returned to work (and in that time had found a better paid more local job working 3 days a week instead of 5) my Dad was to literally drop dead completely unexpectedly.

He adored my son and had got to spend so much time with him -time he would have missed out had I gone back to work as planned -and although it still hurts he never saw my son grow up and my son has no memories of him- it's a great comfort to know he got to spend so much time with him in the last months of his life.

My parents weren't wealthy and could only afford to give me this gift as they'd just sold their business and retired and for the first time in their lives had real money to spare. Looking back the timing was amazing -some things are just meant to be.

I must admit I shed a few tears over that...what a lovely story!

crunch_time

Me too what a lovely thing to do for you!

Crunch x

Prothet_of_Doom

I'm sure my parents have done amazing things for me, and that unfortunately I'm quite ungrateful.

You brought me into this world, and that made you obligated to provide the best for me, until eternity, despite that I come across as ungrateful.

Just as I will always be there for my kids and will do whatever it takes to get them through life, because I am responsible for their existence.

Ilona

My father went to work to earn the money, but he kept a lot of it for himself. My mother made the best of what she had, took a part time job to earn a little for treats, she taught me all I know about money management. For that I shall be eternally grateful.
Ilona