Don't get me wrong. I love eating out rather than cooking, browsing the Internet and watching OnDemand TV.
Still, there's something to be said for a homecooked meal, walking into a quiet library and waiting for reruns.
My kids don't get this.
My soon-to-be 14-year-old (we'll call him Teenager to protect the guilty) and my high-functioning autistic 9-year-old (let's call him the Lego Kid) are all about the now. And I get that. I was both 9 and 14 myself once. But some things--especially big-ticket items--really do have to wait. The kids have a problem with this.
Teenager wants a PlayStation 3 system. "Fine," my husband and I say. "Save your birthday and Christmas money." Teenager says he wants the system before Christmas.
Uh, no, that's not going to happen.
Aside from the fact that we just don't have the money for it, it's the principle of the thing. Wait. Have a plan. Save your money. Shop around.
My husband and I learned this lesson the hard way--some days, we're still learning--and we want the kids to learn from our mistakes.
We're all getting better, one baby step at a time.
Before we went to Myrtle Beach this summer, we told the kids they'd have to save their own money to spend down there. They did. In fact, they each saved over $100. I was especially proud of the Lego Kid, who actually thought about what he really wanted instead of handing over his money for a lesser item.
I guess what I'm saying is that we are all tempted by instant gratification. But it's a hollow reward, often followed by guilt and the hunt for the next thing. And it seems to me that people who are always looking for instant gratification are never happy. Nothing ever pleases them. I don't want that, for myself or my kids.
Just like anything else, the destination is made sweeter by the journey.
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