My kids are spoiled....

[mhsjax]

I think it is kind of funny really. The first memory that my daughter has of staying on property was at the Grand Floridian. We went back a few months later for a quick trip and we stayed at POR. She looked at me and said, we have to carry our own bags and park our own car. Does that sound spoiled rotten? sure it does. But she isn't. They are a little spoiled in how much they go to Disney but we are only 2.5 hours away.

We have had a major change in income and they have had to do without a lot of things. Not one time have they complained. They have been told no more times in the part year than they have heard in their entire life. Not one grumble from their lips. So even though the OP says her kids are spoiled and laughed about it, they may not be truly spoiled.

 

[IDoDis]

Well, I'll brag about my 71 year old mother who is snorkling in Thailand right now. She'll also be visiting Vietnam. I'm soooo jealous! She's doing it the cheap-o way. Traveling in a van (probably no AC), staying in senior hostels (no fancy hotels), but according the the emails I'm getting from her, she's having a fantastic time. She has explored the area on her own, said she can rent a snorkling suit for $1.50 a day, met some fishermen, chatted it up with someone at a German bakery, and I quote her email as saying, "I'm having a blast!!!!"

I know she wouldn't be having that much fun if she were on some lavish tour staying at a fancy hotel. That's just not how my mama rolls.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We own DVC and tonight we were discussing our upcoming Sept. Trip. My kids started whining about something we were planning and my DH says - if you two keep this up - we are going to cancel our Beach Club and Boardwalk reservations and book the one of those $25 a night Best Westerns for our next trip.

They were horrified. I told my DH that we should really do that - DRIVE (gasp!), stay in the cheapest hotel we can find in Orlando, not buy any extras and go in July at the height of crowds and heat to show our kids how lucky they have it each year when we go to Disney.

Then we started cracking up laughing...to teach our kids a lesson about how spoiled they are - we are going to take them to Disney World on a trip that any child would be lucky to go on! yea - that will show them how spoiled they are

But then we got an even bigger chuckle when we realized after a couple of days - it probably would not be our kids crying for BW!!

My kids are very lucky that we are financially secure and do take wonderful family vacations together each year. One of the reasons we bought DVC was for that very reason - DH knew that if he was commited to points - he would go each year. But sometimes I think my kids have no idea how sweet they have it!

Better yet, keep the DVC reservations, plus get that offsite hotel. Then you and your husband can swap nights. One night you stay with the kids offsite and he stays in the DVC resort alone. Then you swap the next night.

 

[hereyago]

Well, I'll brag about my 71 year old mother who is snorkling in Thailand right now. She'll also be visiting Vietnam. I'm soooo jealous! She's doing it the cheap-o way. Traveling in a van (probably no AC), staying in senior hostels (no fancy hotels), but according the the emails I'm getting from her, she's having a fantastic time. She has explored the area on her own, said she can rent a snorkling suit for $1.50 a day, met some fishermen, chatted it up with someone at a German bakery, and I quote her email as saying, "I'm having a blast!!!!"

I know she wouldn't be having that much fun if she were on some lavish tour staying at a fancy hotel. That's just not how my mama rolls.

That is terrific. She sounds young at heart.

 

[eduk8r26]

I grew up in a family of 12 kids. Our vacations were 1-day trips to San Diego. No freeway then, either. We'd get up about 4, pack all 14 of us in the car and head out. We'd stop up in the mountains for donuts and milk for breakfast, then go to the zoo for half a day and the beach in the afternoon. Then we'd head home. I didn't get to Disney till I came to California for a job interview and took my 2 youngest sisters. Most of the rest didn't get there till they were teens or young adults. My girls were luckier. We lived out here so got to go more often, but neither has been to WDW and I've only been once. I've taken their kids on trips all over, though. I like them to see the United States, so we've been to Chicago, Virginia, Washington, DC, San Francisco, Colorado, the Oregon coast and everywhere in between.

 

[Rustysmom]

I never even got to go on vacation as a kid. My mom was afraid to travel far in a car, or in a bus, or any way for that matter. My dad was a cab driver and pretty much had to work every day, so my summers were spent at home. If I was lucky, we took the bus to Coney Island and I went on a few rides and had a hot dog. Or we would take a bus to the little mall we have here. That was about it. I never even got to go on school class trips. I would have to go spend the day in another class because she was afraid to let me go without her, and she couldn't go because she had to take care of her elderly mother. My first time at Disney was on my honeymoon, and that was my first real trip anywhere, and wow, was I amazed!

I do the opposite with my kids. My son has been to Disney 3 times and my daughter twice. Except for the past couple of years, we went to Pennsylvania every summer for a week to go to Hershey, Amish country and Sesame Place. We take them to the beach, museums, have a zoo membership so we can go to all the zoos in NYC. My son went to Washington, DC with his class on a class trip last year, and Philadelphia too. My kids are so lucky and they don't even realize it or appreciate it.

 

[albertamommyof4]

Your kids will only expect what they have had not what they didn't so if you think they are spoiled then change it.
Kids will enjoy any vacation as it is a vacation, weather you go to the local lake or somewhere hours and hours away, a store that they have never been in or Disneyland or Disneyworld, but they only know what you live and where you take them. They are the kids and you the adults after all.
Yes i have taken my kids to disneyland but you know what it was our first major family vacation in almost 12 years or shall i say our only major family vacation as a married couple. We have made a about 2 trips 4 and a half hours away to spend 1 or 2 nights and go shopping and you know what they had a blast at both. They also like driving 2 and a half hours to go to a super walmart lol
Life is what you make it.

 

[snowwhitesmom]

My kids have no idea how good they have it. Besides two Disney trips in the last 3 years, we have two more in the works. One this October for a wedding and then again in June of 2011 when oldest DD dances at MK with her dance team. My first trip to Disney was when they went. The girls were 6 and 10.

This doesnt even include all the other vacations they have had - trips to Kentucky, Mall of America and lots of trips to Chicago. I didn't stay in a hotel until I was 13 and they have racked up more hotel nights then I can imagine.

My mom and dad would get us up at 3am and pack hard boiled eggs and blueberry muffins for breakfast and sandwiches that we would eat a rest stop to save money on hotels and meals. I vowed I would never do that to my kids. Did I mention that there were 4 of us aged 8-14 crammed in the back of a chevy hatchback for the road trips? My two girls have the entire back of a Sienna minivan.

But isn't it nice that your folks took you on trips, budget as they were? I am one of 7 and that is how we traveled - out of necessity - and our trips always had an educational twist - Lake George, DC - those are some of my fondest childhood memories and I treasure them even more now that both of my folks are gone.

 

[eliza61]

Every generation goes through this. My father always loved to tell the proverbial "I had to walk through a blizzard 5 miles to get to school" story.

My first born is a freshmen at college, he called me in a panic yesterday because he went to the ATM machine and it said "insufficient funds". He wanted to know what should he do? I suggested that he go back to the dorms and find some thing "Free" to do because his plans just changed. LOL.

 

[Planogirl]

Every generation goes through this. My father always loved to tell the proverbial "I had to walk through a blizzard 5 miles to get to school" story.

My first born is a freshmen at college, he called me in a panic yesterday because he went to the ATM machine and it said "insufficient funds". He wanted to know what should he do? I suggested that he go back to the dorms and find some thing "Free" to do because his plans just changed. LOL.

I was just thinking about the old hardship stories. This thread seems to have both those and some that could be seen as bragging. Interesting combo.

 

[runwad]

Every generation goes through this. My father always loved to tell the proverbial "I had to walk through a blizzard 5 miles to get to school" story.

My first born is a freshmen at college, he called me in a panic yesterday because he went to the ATM machine and it said "insufficient funds". He wanted to know what should he do? I suggested that he go back to the dorms and find some thing "Free" to do because his plans just changed. LOL.

You're funny, I always laugh at your posts!!

I grew up in NE Ohio as one of 5 kids. My dad worked 2 jobs and our vacation would be getting up at 5:30 am on a Saturday and going to Wally Waffles for breakfast on our way to Sea World for a day. And then maybe the next year we'd do a real expensive vacation, a weekend at Cedar Point.ha We'd do the park all day then go to the breakers hotel for the night, get up and have breakfast and go to Lake Erie and swim for the day. We thought it was the ocean with the waves. Those were great "vacations", I have a lot of fond family memories. It's being with your family that's important not the location or the expensiveness of it all.

I never went on a 7 day vacation or left the state of OH until my honeymoon.
We've taken our kids to Disney 3 times but always budget and they are happy to just go. They know we have to save up a lot and forego somethings we want in order to afford going to Disney.

 

[Princess April]

Every generation goes through this. My father always loved to tell the proverbial "I had to walk through a blizzard 5 miles to get to school" story.

My first born is a freshmen at college, he called me in a panic yesterday because he went to the ATM machine and it said "insufficient funds". He wanted to know what should he do? I suggested that he go back to the dorms and find some thing "Free" to do because his plans just changed. LOL.

 

[mumom95]

Every generation goes through this. My father always loved to tell the proverbial "I had to walk through a blizzard 5 miles to get to school" story.

My first born is a freshmen at college, he called me in a panic yesterday because he went to the ATM machine and it said "insufficient funds". He wanted to know what should he do? I suggested that he go back to the dorms and find some thing "Free" to do because his plans just changed. LOL.

That is funny!! Good for you!!

 

[ChristmasElf]

Good to know that our kids are not alone. Here they have Walt Disney World literally in the backyard, and they tell me they get sick of going over just to ride a bunch of rides and watch parades and fireworks.
They are even growing tired of our annual trips to Honolulu every Easter and the January trips to Vail to check on our Chalet.
They do seem to enjoy the Mediterranean though so I think we'll start going there twice a year now that Dubai is going under.

I tell ya, if it's not one thing, it's another!

 

[Alesia]

In my case, I think its an issue - not something to brag about, but something I consider every time we take a trip. How do you give your kids a good firm foundation, expose them to a lot of things, yet keep them from getting "spoiled?" For us, Europe was a great educational experience. At the same time, they didn't need to go to Europe. Can you balance giving your kids "experiences" while also giving them realistic notions about life.

When we went to Mexico we made sure to leave the resort and point out to the kids how most people in Mexico live - the little tiny houses that dot the road. When we were in Europe they noticed how much walking - how few cars - and how skinny people were compared to home. My daughter isn't the most athletic or coordinated person in the world, but she is a pretty good skiier, so skiing is one of the ways we give her confidence.

What value do you give your kids out of their "experiences" and are they getting enough value or are they gaining a sense of entitlement? If the entitlement starts to show, we need to cut back or cut out. If they are growing, then we continue to do it. But it needs to be managed. We take them to nice restaurants, are they learning good manners as part of the experience, or are they simply becoming snobs about going out to dinner?

Children don't become spoiled brats because of the things their parents can give them; they become spoiled brats because their parents demonstrate an attitude of entitlement. Our children learn from the lessons we teach them.

 

[DVCBELLE]

My kids are spoiled and get to do a lot of great things....but they aren't brats - and that is a HUGE difference!!

In school they work hard and their teachers tell me they wish more kids could be like them, they are loving and kind, they treat each other and others with respect. I could not ask for two better kids - and my DH works his butt off for us to do the stuff we do - so no I will not apologize for the things that my family does.

I put this on the budget board for 2 reasons - one it is the board I am usually on and 2 b/c we do get to many of the things we do b/c we have tightened our budget and really made an effort to do the things we do b/c of things I have learned from this board.

I titled the thread "My kids are spoiled..." b/c they do get to do amazing things and sometimes I am not sure they know how amazing they are...but I have faith that they will someday - just like I do now - appreciate the sacrafices their father and I have made to do these things with them. I am sure that as adults they too will have many fond memories of their childhood!

 

[rentayenta]

The word spoiled has a very negative connotation, with good reason, so I prefer to say lucky*. My kids are very lucky. I was very lucky as a child as well as far as vacationing went.





* I am in no way saying that other kids are unlucky.

 

[PixieTopaz]

My kids are spoiled and get to do a lot of great things.....

I put this on the budget board for 2 reasons - one it is the board I am usually on and 2 b/c we do get to many of the things we do b/c we have tightened our budget and really made an effort to do the things we do b/c of things I have learned from this board.

!

I'm really surprised that someone who has to tighten their budget to have DVC and then brags about it.

Most money experts will tell you a time share is not a smart place to put your hard earned $$.

I never went to Disney as a kid and treasured all the camping trips we took all over the USA as a family.

 

[crisi]

Children don't become spoiled brats because of the things their parents can give them; they become spoiled brats because their parents demonstrate an attitude of entitlement. Our children learn from the lessons we teach them.

I'm not talking even necessarily about brats.

My sister married a guy. Nice guy. Really sweet. Not a brat at all. But his lifestyle growing up was one of privilege. Designer clothes, expensive vacations, fine restaurants. When it was no longer Dad's money, he had a really rough time adjusting his habits to what he could afford (what they could afford) - never did while they were married. It just didn't occur to him to buy sweatshirts that weren't Nautica. It was entitlement, but a sort of oblivious entitlement that just didn't know any better.

 

[eeyorethegreat]

The word spoiled has a very negative connotation, with good reason, so I prefer to say lucky*. My kids are very lucky. I was very lucky as a child as well as far as vacationing went.





* I am in no way saying that other kids are unlucky.

I think this is where people are taking issue with some of the posts. Spoiled seems to have the connotation of expecting things with out ever being grateful for them. I am sure none of us would want our children perceived in that light nor I would think that the parents would want to be seen as ones that truly "Spoil" their children, giving them the impression that they could have whatever they want, whenever they want. It sounds to me that the OP children are very lucky indeed and as she says hopefully they will realize this and appreciate the experiences and advantages they have been given.