Simple and Special

This bubble wrapped package has been taunting my girl for years.  We walk by it everyday when we get in my car.  I told her I would give it to her when she turns five.  Over the past year or two, I've been scaling back on the material goods my girl gets.  I knew we needed to make a change when my husband and I took her to Disneyland for the 10th or so time and she was ho-hum about it.  I kept thinking this is not good.  When I was a kid Disneyland was magic.  She was not excited about it, she was over it.  Then again as we approached her third Christmas, I had no idea what to get her.  She had everything and then some.  She was completely overindulged, having tantrums in stores, getting in fist fights with a boxes of cereal at the grocery store (no joke).  She got mad at me because I wouldn't buy her something at the grocery store and punched a box of cereal.  She was three!

This year for her fifth birthday besides the actual birthday party (which I consider a gift) her dad and I gave her two things, a bike and this dollhouse.  This dollhouse was mine.  It was made for me by my grandmother, my grandmother who taught me to sew, the one who'd do crafts with me all day long, the grandmother that took me on road trips, just me and her.

Getting everyone else on board with the less is more approach has been a little difficult, particularly with my parents.  To my parents, giving is how they show love.  It's actually been a huge point of contention over the last six months.  I want them to give my girl what my grandmother gave me, their time.  That is it.  Life is so short.  Time is the only luxury in life I crave.  I could care less about designer handbags or fancy cars.  I want time to spend with my girl, time for her to spend with my parents, time to be with my friends, time to be with my parents, time to be with my husband, and time for just the three of us to be a family.

My girl was thrilled with the two gifts we gave her.  She was incredibly thankful for the bike.  She still got tons of gifts from everyone else but my parents definitely pulled back in the gift giving department and actually came to her birthday party, something they haven't done since she was two.

The dollhouse needs a little fixing up still, but it was a very special gift for her to receive and also special for me to give to her.

For those of you reading who are parents, there is a great discussion going on at Fern and Feather.  I highly encourage you to check it out.  The basis of the discussion stems from the book Simplicity Parenting, however even if you haven't read the book, there are some great points that can be taken away from the just the comments.  I have not read the book but plan to soon.