Disappointing Christmas

I am worried I am going to have some disappointed kids Christmas morning.

3 of the 4 want an iPod Touch of their own and the other one wants some dolls that I am not comfortable with.

I won’t let Santa bring their gift requests and I won’t buy them, so not one of my kids is getting what they asked for this Christmas.

Part of me wants to fulfill their wishes and see huge grins on Christmas morning.  I want to be liked and I want my kids to be happy. I want to be the fun, cool, hip mom.  And Christmas shopping would be so much easier.

But the stronger part of me understands my parenting job clearly. And I know that I must control what I allow in my home.  I know I want to limit their exposure to technology and limit their exposure to bad role models.

As far as the iPods go, my kids don’t need any more technology in their life.  We have a family iPad and a family iPod Touch and the fact that they want an upgrade is just wrong and embarrassing and normal for kids these days.  Part of me wants to take them to Africa and drop them off and tell them to get a life, but then I kind of know that I contributed to the monsters in the first place.

But just like I made my daughter wait to pierce her ears longer than the average mom, my kids are going to have to wait longer than the average kid to get their own technological devices.  They just might be the only kids in Jr. High without a cell phone if I can stay strong.  And they sure as heck aren’t going to have an iPod touch when they are in elementary school even if they hate me.

As far as the dolls go, I don’t know what it is exactly, but I am just not comfortable with them.   I won’t mention the brand name because I don’t want other moms to feel bad if they are okay with them, but I don’t want these particular dolls in my house.  I don’t know if it is their makeup or clothes or attitude or poses, but they feel dark to me and I want my daughter surrounded by light.  I have looked at the dolls every time I have gone shopping over the last few weeks (which has been a lot) because I really want to give my daughter what she really wants, but I just can’t pull the trigger. I am just not comfortable with them in my home and I am choosing to honor my feelings on this one even though I can’t quite explain why.

With both the iPods and the dolls, I figure it would be harder to back track and take away then to never give. And I trust that Santa can find gifts that are just as fun and exciting but more uplifting and bright and less addictive.

So I am going with my gut instincts over guaranteed grins and giggles Christmas morning.   Even if my kids end up being disappointed.

Today I feel like I am doing the right thing for my family.  We will see how I feel Christmas morning.