Thursday Parenting Thought – Time or Money?
Parenting is the hardest job on earth. (And the most rewarding.) Unfortunately, it doesn’t pay, so parents have to work to provide for their children. No parent should feel guilty about making sure his or her baby or toddler has food, clothing and shelter. But should parents take on more hours to make birthdays and holidays more lavish? To take trips to Disneyland? To pay for the best preschools?
Jesse Jackson says:
Your children need your presence more than your presents.
Photo: SXC
I can see where feeling like it is okay that you are working 60 hour work weeks while your nanny raises your child just because you buy him or her tons of toys is a mistake. However, if working overtime once in a while means you can spend a week of quality vacation time with your child and can build some wonderful family memories, I don’t think you should feel at all like you are a “bad parent.
Of course, if you ever hear yourself saying, “You ungrateful child. I work 80 hours a week to give you everything I never had and this is how you act?” then you might want to take a hard look at today’s quote and ask yourself if you are giving your child your time along with all those things you wanted when you were growing up.
What do you think? Is Jesse Jackson on the mark with this week’s Thursday Thought?
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