It is Monday evening, the day after Christmas, and I am sitting here looking at the mass of new toys, gadgets, and gizmos that have accumulated in my living room. The same thought keeps running through my mind; is everything really worth it?
If you are like me and your kids get spoiled each and every Christmas, you are probably sitting in the same boat. It is a few days of non-stop gifts, and no matter how many times relatives have been told “No more toys,” toys keep showing up. Of course I love the look on my children’s faces when they initially see new “things”, but those looks do not last long at all. A majority of the gifts that children receive are only used for a very short period of time. Those sometimes expensive gifts then end up in one of three places; closet, basement, or the garbage. So is the time, energy, and money spent really worth the few days or months of joy that the children have?
In today’s society people are working longer and harder just to pay the bills. However, when the holidays come around people feel the need to temporarily and voluntarily forget about their financial situation and spend, spend, spend. Many people, including myself then have to deal with the consequences of the spending. We have put ourselves into a deeper financial hole.
The amount of time and energy that goes into shopping is tremendous, and if you’re like my family that shopping time needs to be without the children or it is sort of useless. My wife has spent hours upon hours in the stores looking for the perfect gifts for our 4 children. Needless to say those hours are without husband. I am home watching our beautiful children, and if I wasn’t we would have to pay a babysitter $10 per hour to watch them. Again, another financial expense. I cannot begin to tell you how exhausted my wife is when she comes home from a 10 hour shopping day. She is physically and mentally wasted. She really doesn’t have the energy or patience to deal with me or our children when she gets home. Although she really does try! So again I ask the question; is it worth it?
Looking back year after year, families put themselves into financial and emotional distress just to see a smile on a child’s face. Those smiles don’t last forever, but debt and mental distress may. So, I ask the question one final time; “Is the time, money, and energy put in worth it?”