[sabrina]

Being quite a deep thinker which is not always a good thing, my mind started up in the early hours this morning. We are at the time of year when the want word is on every child's lips. Most want the latest phone, computer games etc and how sad that makes me feel. Little do today's kids know the joy of building a dam in a burn, a tent out of your mothers old sheets or just the simple joy of playing outside with your friends. social skills are being lost because children spend far to much time on their own. Parents busy working, so the kids have breakfast club and after school club being away from home from 8am-5.30 pm. Family life is being lost, parents far too stressed to enjoy their children and by the time they realize this its to late. Kids expect to get what they want, we had 2nd hand toys as children and still got excited if it was a bike or dolls pram. sunday was church and the day the whole family spent together. Now it seems everyone needs to shop. Adults are just as bad when it comes to the want word, maybe it is time everyone took a step back to be thankful for what we do have. Living is hard there is no doubt about it but take away that constant little word and be happy that you have family, health, good friends and take the time to enjoy the things you do have.

[doganjo]

My daughter and her husband bring up their three children just as you would want, Margaret, including Church on Sunday, but that horrid 'want' word is so imprinted on their friends minds that it transfers onto them.

I must admit though that I love giving my grandson presents - no matter how small he always says something like 'Oh, cool, it's just what I've always wanted!', or'Great, now I can .................. ' etc.  The girls are usually enthusiastic too.


I remember my prized possession when I was 11 was an old bike I found in my Grandma's shed - it belonged to an aunt and was well rusted up.   My Mum and Dad gave me money for my birthday that year (December)and I bought the parts needed and I cleaned it up, and put it all together myself over the winter, I even painted it; my Mum took me to the local cycle agent to have it checked, and when the snow went (Aberdeen always seemed to have snow in those days  ) I went cycling round with all my pals, them on their Raleigh Wendy's and Pink Witches!

[ellied]

Agree entirely - I was brought up that way and know there are kids who still are, or have some of that experience anyway, but the majority sadly do not know the joys of making up games or imaginary scenarios with their own resources

As for the wanting, we all have it to some extent - having chosen to give up a lucrative career for full time self employment during a recession I am constantly finding the difference between want and actually need, so it's a useful reminder even tho I thought I realised the simplicity of what our actual needs are

Anyone else get told "I want never gets"?  It was very much a part of my childhood but we always seemed to make do, get by and I think I'm more resilient for that upbringing even if I still don't like to be told no

[doganjo]

Anyone else get told "I want never gets"?  It was very much a part of my childhood but we always seemed to make do, get by and I think I'm more resilient for that upbringing even if I still don't like to be told no

Yes, I remember that - 'them that wants, disnae get, and them that disnae want disnae need'

[Sylvia]

My mother's words, and echoed now by my children to my grandchildren, "Then want will be your master!"
I sigh for a world without television , computer games etc. and for the childhood I had.
I think that what children miss today is liberty. We could go off all day, only coming home when our stomachs told us to and no-one worried, at least 'til you'd missed two meals!
Today parents panic if a child is late home from school ( and I can see why) Children just cannot have the freedom we older ones had. 

[Rosemary]

The worst thing my mother ever drummed into to me was "If you ask, you don't get". Rubbish, always ask politely for what you want but be prepared to accept "No" as an answer, with good grace. And, on the other hand, learn that you have the right to say "No" without an explanation.

[RUSTYME]

I grew up being happy with what i got , which was always enough ! , but the rest of my brothers and sisters after me ,tended to get too much and always wanted more . 
 Unlike them , i can wait for years for something i could use . If i don't ever get it , so be it ! I just make do without . Most things that i 'want' though , I can just make myself , which is handy when you live with almost no money . But there are somethings that i would really like , want ? , that i can't make ,  but one mans rubbish , is another mans gold , and someone usually throws out what i 'want' .  Just waiting for the wad of £50 notes to get binned now ! ( long wait me thinks ! )
  i want , don't get ! still rings in my ears too ! 
 Cheers russ 

[northfifeduckling]

I feel I've done pretty well with mine.  They may want but they also have learned from a very young age that I am not a magician or a witch and if I can't give it's not out of ill will.  They are happy with second hand gadgets (like i-pods) and have been with toys and clothes when little. All else special they want they are now prepared to work for. You / they / I don't have to have everything I want. Sometimes I tell them "Oh, I love that, it's nice - but I don't have to have it, it's just nice" - seems to work 

[doganjo]

Shhh, don't tell my grandkids, but things are recycled downwards from Daddy, to Mummy, to 13 year old, to 10 year old, to 4 year old   

Mind you, Sarah's even got them doing it - they sell their gadget to the next one down and add that to their pocket money to get the next gadget upwards they want, whether it's buying it from the upwards sibling or from Dad, or online. 
Dad is an addicted 'gadget man'   

I had hoped to fall heir to a gadget myself, maybe just an ipod,  but it seems that by the time they have gone through two adult and three child pairs of hands they're only fit for spares - oh woe is me - I'll just have to want, won't i?

[Hatty]

The worst thing my mother ever drummed into to me was "If you ask, you don't get". Rubbish, always ask politely for what you want but be prepared to accept "No" as an answer, with good grace. And, on the other hand, learn that you have the right to say "No" without an explanation.

Funny how the little things stick in your mind my Dad's favorite saying was "I want never gets" if I used the WANT word it was instantly dismissed,  and if he said "NO" he meant no, so many kids these days seem to see no as the beginning of a negotiation.

[LouiseG]

Along with 'I want never gets' we had "life isn't fair". My children have also learnt that 'we'll see' is probably a no but worth being good for just in case.

[northfifeduckling]

I absolutely hated my dad's "whatever you see when you close your eyes is yours" but strangely enough I don't need much in terms of "stuff" nowadays - did it work???