Mean Mom or Healthy Choice??

Is it just me or has Easter morphed into Christmas the sequel?  I guess in the religious sense Easter is the sequel to Christmas, but I was talking more about the orgy of presents and candy that now accompanies this holiday.   I was even talking to a mom whose kids had an Easter list, you know like a Christmas list!  Don't get me wrong I really don't think there is anything wrong with giving your kids presents or treats, but how much is too much?  When do we cross the line between giving our kids enough to spoiling them?

So I made the executive decision to skip the Easter baskets this year.  I know!  What kind of horrible mom am I?  I kinda can't believe I did it.  I have been doing Easter baskets for our family since Kevin and I were engaged.  It is never too much.  Just a bit of candy and some small presents for the kids. But as I was planning to go out and shop for the goods I paused and looked around the house.  It is busting at the seams with toys and toys my kids play with for 2 seconds and then never care about again (unless I try to get rid of them).  Then I looked at the piles of candy my children had recently collected at birthday parties and other assorted events.  Do they need more toys?  No.  Do they need more candy?  Absolutely not!  Does an Easter basket have anything to do with the real meaning of Easter?  No, no, no!  I decided I just wasn't going to do it this year.

This doesn't mean that next year I won't do Easter baskets.  I am not banning them for life, but I am going to put more thought into the process next year.  I am going to try to find a way to make the "treats" a bit healthier and the presents a little more meaningful.  I am also going to emphasize the real reason we celebrate this holiday and make those baskets secondary.  I have been noticing a sense of entitlement in my children and lack of appreciation for all the blessings they have.  And you know what, giving them another round of candy and toys is not going to help that any!!

As for my decision this year, I am happy with it.  In addition to the kids not needing to eat a bunch of crap, Kevin and I don't need to eat a bunch of crap either!!