The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

rtandon27

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

...I was reading about a lass this morning on the BBC site who is getting help from charity to fund the first Christmas with her daughter. I think the child is something like 3 months old. The lass feels 'less than' because she is getting the daughter presents that have been pre-loved off social media selling sites...

GP - I read that self-same article the other day & was so very very :mad::mad::mad: - that lass needs to learn to be thankful for food in her belly and a roof over her head - what the bleepin' heck does a 3 month old know about gifts and Xmas anyway - all they want is warm milk in their bellies, a nice long nap or two or three, a warm blankie and a clean nappie!

...slinks off...
...rant over...

Sigh - I think my age is starting to show...:o:o:o

---

Totally missed your sweet story about BG & the twinkly lights :xmastree::snow_grin:snow_laug - gotta love a little one's innocence! BG adventures perk up my day to to end!

Greying_Pilgrim

rtandon27 wrote: »

GP - I read that self-same article the other day & was so very very :mad::mad::mad: - that lass needs to learn to be thankful for food in her belly and a roof over her head - what the bleepin' heck does a 3 month old know about gifts and Xmas anyway - all they want is warm milk in their bellies, a nice long nap or two or three, a warm blankie and a clean nappie!

...slinks off...
...rant over...

Sigh - I think my age is starting to show...:o:o:o

I entirely take your point rtandon - I felt sorry for her that society had made her believe that the raft of gifts was 'normal'. Social media promogulates an ideal of 'perfect' christmases - which for the most part are unattainable or actually don't bring the perfect manners/behaviour/responses/situations that their originators seem to want to engineer.



I'm even still of the mindset that BG won't yet know if they have been 'hard-done-by' by the amount of Christmas presents they receive - they have no-one really to compare to. I realise that this will be different in Primary school, and as for the time they are in secondary school.........


Commonsense would dictate that as long as the baby is fed, and warm and loved, and cared for, then they won't even know it is Christmas. But commonsense isn't in abundance at anytime of the year. This lass isn't alone in being made to feel that she's not giving her child 'everything', and society needs to stop spreading the message of 'more' or 'expensive' or 'new' or 'spending lots = love'.



That lass was young. If she could get the confidence now to believe that her best is good enough, that would surely be a wonderful Christmas present? Didn't the article say she wanted to train to be a teacher? Imagine the positive image she could have on young people of the future.



Perhaps I am too much of an auld fossil that - on this matter - I have the confidence to believe that we are not stinting BG and our 'enough' is good enough. Note it down in your diaries peeps! Greying being a little bit confident about a parenting decision doesn't happen very often.......


Greying X

Cheery_Daff

Yay! :j :j :j

So lovely to hear you being confident about a parently decision Greying! :kisses3: you do SO very much for BG, they want for nothing and it's about time you admitted what an excellent parent you are :j

Greying_Pilgrim

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

Yay! :j :j :j

So lovely to hear you being confident about a parently decision Greying! :kisses3: you do SO very much for BG, they want for nothing and it's about time you admitted what an excellent parent you are :j

Ha ha ha! My dearest Cheery - you know that the first Christmas that BG is in Primary school, and they come home wanting an Eye-padd, 3 versions of fortknight, a 3 week aqua sports vacation in Barbados and a kitten - I'm gonna be tearing me hair out, right??? :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:


Currently, BG seemingly makes it so easy for us. To see their enchantment with the lights this evening was... utterly, utterly wonderful. To hear them correctly counting the number of reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh, on one set of lights; and pointing out trees or presents or FC on other lights, was just, oh goodness, I can't even begin to describe it - because it's like nothing I have ever experienced before. Just for stopping to listen to a small child see something with fresh eyes.


Having said that, I still haven't done anymore on any of their gift this evening.



Bad Mummy! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:


Greying X

beanielou

You have the right idea about giving.
So very many dont.

WannabeFree

It is sad what Christmas has become to some.

I hear some of the smalls friends sharing their lists and that they know they will receive everything etc does make me worry what my smalls will think.

But honestly they don't even ask for things like their friends never mind several high cost items. I am expecting that to change especially as DS is nearly 10. However his letter to Santa this year his 'main' want was a pen that has 3 colours in it and a book if possible but if he can only choose one item please could it be the pen! The youngest did have a few more things but still it was the famous pig small figure that will fit in her school cardigan pocket and a train.

x

badmemory

I am totally convinced that until my son was 3 or 4 we need not have bought him one single present at Christmas. When they are so small so many people buy them presents & as they all come from Santa it really doesn't matter what the source. By the time he was 4 (shortly before Xmas) we let him know that people, including us, sent presents to Santa for Santa to deliver & that if they were naughty not nice then those presents they didn't get Santa gave to the children whose parents couldn't afford to buy their children but we also sent extras for those children anyway. We had to say this because he said he didn't want to be naughty but felt he should so that those other children could get presents. Out of the mouths of babes & sucklings!! Thank you for helping me remember how amazing really young children can be if we let them.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

WannabeFree wrote: »

I am expecting that to change especially as DS is nearly 10. However his letter to Santa this year his 'main' want was a pen that has 3 colours in it and a book if possible but if he can only choose one item please could it be the pen! The youngest did have a few more things but still it was the famous pig small figure that will fit in her school cardigan pocket and a train.

WannabeFree - that is quite, quite the most heart-warming and encouraging thing that I have read in a long time :T Those pens were all the rage when I was at school. It would have been so cool to have received one from Santa. How I fervently hope that Santa can weave his special kind of magic and sparkles, and such a special pen is your son's this Christmas. And I'm assuming that the famous pig is the pink one, with the initials PP?



To know exactly what you would like - what would be the icing on the cake to your already happy childhood - is amazing. How can I not wish for that for our own, darling BG???? I'm moved to tears just thinking about it. Thinking about the adults - as well as children - this Christmas, who will be lost in a melee of wrapping paper, with 'so much' and yet, actually, nothing they value. Wow! Yet again WannabeFree you are the inspiration that I need to continue on the path that we've set with BG. Sure, we're gonna get things wrong, but overall, people are more important than 'stuff' - and to be content with 'sufficient' is an important life skill - as is to recognise that there are others that live with far less.


badmemory - I feel the same. We're the ones buying stuff for BG - 25th December could come and go, and they wouldn't really understand the concept of Christmas Day. For BG's first Christmas, we barely bought a thing - not out of 'tightness' - but other people kindly bought things for BG and we chose to put some cash in their savings account. BG didn't miss out, but neither did they get lots of stuff that they didn't know they needed.



Pootling out and about with visitations to relatives today. So I'm already grateful for a car and a splodge of diesel to be able to make these visits, and hopefully spread a bit of joy around. Although BG has a cough, so I'm a bit worried about spreading germs tbh. Although they should be well past the contagious stage. We should be eating out for lunch, so I really haven't given much consideration to tea. Although I should, as DH will require summat - even if we are stuffed to the gills!


We won't be going near shops, but will need to buy lunch, so it won't be a nsd. And gvien eating out prices, it won't be a lsd either, but hopefully, we'll have a good time


Right, better get a wiggle on. I'm sure time will evaporate, and I've enough stuff to pack up to spend 3 months in outer mongolia - as per usual!



Ta for popping in. I greatly appreciate it


Greying X

rtandon27

Happy Visiting day, family Greying! I'm sure the parentals will adore a visit from the littley

beanielou

Have a good day.