This week Iwas in Cov. market cafe and got talking as one does.--to a woman with 3 children, under7. I asked the oldest what he would like for Christmas and he reeled off a load of things.
She said she was dreading it all. Last year she borrowed £1000 for prezzies and has only paid offjust over half. "Well" she said, "you've got to ,havent you-- cant spoil it for the children can you?" She has taken out loan for this year and did not mind telling a total stranger-me -her problems. Her husband cant' get a job -has never had one so they are on benefits.
Iasked her how she would ever manage to pay it back .She just shrugged and said "something will come up-perhaps we'll win the lottery-ha-haa"
Cynical me thought yes- the state (meaning us and our money) will sort it out and get them out of a mess.
We cannot blame the children if they want the moon when they have been brought up to expect it.
50 years ago we didn't have much and life was sometimes grim, And so-- as we have got a bit better off have indulged the children by giving them what we didn't have. But it has gone too far now-Icant think what will happen when the banks stop lending altogether to people on benefits--and how those kids will react. They'll grow up with a bigger chip than their parents.