Where Does it End?

My children have started writing their Christmas lists for Santa Claus. The problem is that they don't know when to stop!

Big Surprise!!

I'm not the sort of mum who will just go ahead and let them have everything they want; I just don't agree with that. Parents need to know how to say no to their children - otherwise there may be trouble ahead!

My husband often tells a story relayed to him by a friend. His friend was in an hotel lobby in the States. He couldn't help but overhear a rather irate man arguing with the manager over something. Whatever he was getting annoyed about, the manager was sticking to his guns.

Suddenly, much to the amazement of my husband's friend, this grown man suddenly started jumping up and down on the spot and shouting at the manager. All my husband's friend could think was that he was witnessing a spoilt child trapped within the body of a grown man...

That is not how I want my children to become - so tonight I'm going to help them with their decision-making skills... I'll explain to them that poor old Santa has to bring toys to children all over the world and that if they're greedy he may decide to by-pass our house! Or he may get the order wrong and bring them stuff they didn't REALLY want... So I'll impress upon them that they must decide what one thing it is that they'd really like him to bring and I'll suggest they ask for a few surprises too (as it's nice to not know what you're getting sometimes).

If I can possibly avoid it, my children will not grow up to be spoilt adults. They'll be nurtured to become responsible and selfless human beings who understand the world doesn't revolve just around them...