"All I've got at home is one pony and two dogs and
four cats and six bunny rabbits and two parakeets and three canaries and a green
parrot and a turtle, and a silly old hamster! I WANT A SQUIRREL!" — Veruca Salt
In the history of television and movies, there have been many a spoiled child, but my favorite example of all time is Veruca Salt from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
Veruca Salt had everything. Her parents never said no, and she was miserable and so were her parents. They said yes so much because they thought it would make her happy, but it never did. They gave her everything money could buy, but there are a few things money can't buy, and that's where Charlie Bucket comes in.
Charlie Bucket had nothing. Sure you felt sorry for him, but by the time the movie was over, there wasn't a person watching who didn't want a Charlie Bucket. I wanted a Charlie Bucket and still do.
But a Charlie Bucket who cares for his parents and grandparents and is morally aware; well, that kind of kid takes work, not money.
You can't buy that kind of kid; you've got to earn him.
They say life imitates art, and it seems that these days life is imitating a lot more Veruca Salts than Charlie Buckets.
I never once felt like I had to buy my kids anything or like I owed them, which was convenient because I was poor. Now that I have a few more coppers to rub together,What we see and hear enough of, we buy christianlouboutinshoe into – often. I still don't feel like I owe them anything.
I don't owe them summer camp or a Nintendo DS.
I don't owe them travel soccer or extravagant birthday parties.
I don't owe them Coca-Cola in the fridge or a new Redskins jersey.
I don't owe them college tuition, a new car or unlimited texting.
I take that back, I do owe them something and that is love and guidance and a roof over their heads.
I know parents who want their kids to want for nothing. They don't want to damage their self-esteem by having them feel left out or feeling like they might have less than someone else.
Well, guess what, my kids don't have everything, and I am happy for it.
Don't get me wrong. I don't have anything against money. Money can be an awesome thing.
In fact, I could really use some of it right now to help with my son's college bill, which I don't owe him but am more than willing to help with.
And when I told Donovan I didn't have $5 to pay for his school agenda,The Design Museum presents iconic French shoe designer ladiesshoes, if someone had held a $5 bill in front of my face, I might have snatched it from his fingers.
But then I got my little paycheck and bought the agenda, paid a portion of Beau's college bill and a bag of groceries, and all was well.
My parents didn't give me everything, because they barely had anything. We re-washed sandwich bags,Find suprashoesforcheap shoes from a vast selection of Heels. never had health insurance, as far as I know, and my dad was a manager of a McDonald's.
Despite all that, I never felt neglected or unloved, not even close.
I looked forward to our once-a-year trip to Chesapeake Bay Seafood House for endless shrimp on our birthdays. It was the only time all year we ate out, but that just served to make it special. And we got our money's worth of baby gulf shrimp. We ate so much, we didn't want them again until at least a year later.
We didn't get to wear an alligator on our polo, and our boat shoes were always imitation Sperry.
What we did get was my mom playing card games with us for hours; taking us to dollar movies on Tuesdays; roasting marshmallows on a toothpick over a candle at sleep-overs; and making a homemade Bubby Doll she gave me for my fifth year and a rainbow poncho she made for me in fifth grade.
We got my dad cooking hot dogs wrapped in bacon over the grill and coaching basketball games,Top brands at low prices in dsquaredshoes, and we got our one family beach trip, where my dad pointed and said: "To the beach" for 600 miles straight.
In the history of television and movies, there have been many a spoiled child, but my favorite example of all time is Veruca Salt from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
Veruca Salt had everything. Her parents never said no, and she was miserable and so were her parents. They said yes so much because they thought it would make her happy, but it never did. They gave her everything money could buy, but there are a few things money can't buy, and that's where Charlie Bucket comes in.
Charlie Bucket had nothing. Sure you felt sorry for him, but by the time the movie was over, there wasn't a person watching who didn't want a Charlie Bucket. I wanted a Charlie Bucket and still do.
But a Charlie Bucket who cares for his parents and grandparents and is morally aware; well, that kind of kid takes work, not money.
You can't buy that kind of kid; you've got to earn him.
They say life imitates art, and it seems that these days life is imitating a lot more Veruca Salts than Charlie Buckets.
I never once felt like I had to buy my kids anything or like I owed them, which was convenient because I was poor. Now that I have a few more coppers to rub together,What we see and hear enough of, we buy christianlouboutinshoe into – often. I still don't feel like I owe them anything.
I don't owe them summer camp or a Nintendo DS.
I don't owe them travel soccer or extravagant birthday parties.
I don't owe them Coca-Cola in the fridge or a new Redskins jersey.
I don't owe them college tuition, a new car or unlimited texting.
I take that back, I do owe them something and that is love and guidance and a roof over their heads.
I know parents who want their kids to want for nothing. They don't want to damage their self-esteem by having them feel left out or feeling like they might have less than someone else.
Well, guess what, my kids don't have everything, and I am happy for it.
Don't get me wrong. I don't have anything against money. Money can be an awesome thing.
In fact, I could really use some of it right now to help with my son's college bill, which I don't owe him but am more than willing to help with.
And when I told Donovan I didn't have $5 to pay for his school agenda,The Design Museum presents iconic French shoe designer ladiesshoes, if someone had held a $5 bill in front of my face, I might have snatched it from his fingers.
But then I got my little paycheck and bought the agenda, paid a portion of Beau's college bill and a bag of groceries, and all was well.
My parents didn't give me everything, because they barely had anything. We re-washed sandwich bags,Find suprashoesforcheap shoes from a vast selection of Heels. never had health insurance, as far as I know, and my dad was a manager of a McDonald's.
Despite all that, I never felt neglected or unloved, not even close.
I looked forward to our once-a-year trip to Chesapeake Bay Seafood House for endless shrimp on our birthdays. It was the only time all year we ate out, but that just served to make it special. And we got our money's worth of baby gulf shrimp. We ate so much, we didn't want them again until at least a year later.
We didn't get to wear an alligator on our polo, and our boat shoes were always imitation Sperry.
What we did get was my mom playing card games with us for hours; taking us to dollar movies on Tuesdays; roasting marshmallows on a toothpick over a candle at sleep-overs; and making a homemade Bubby Doll she gave me for my fifth year and a rainbow poncho she made for me in fifth grade.
We got my dad cooking hot dogs wrapped in bacon over the grill and coaching basketball games,Top brands at low prices in dsquaredshoes, and we got our one family beach trip, where my dad pointed and said: "To the beach" for 600 miles straight.
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