06/04/2025
To the Parents Who Canât Afford the âExtrasâ Right Now
Your child doesnât have the newest clothes.
Sometimes their jeans are secondhand,
sometimes their shoes have a little wear.
They donât show up with the latest toys,
or talk about expensive vacations.
Maybe you had to say no to dance lessons,
or put off that sports registration⊠again.
But please hear this:
You are not failing.
You are raising a child in love, not luxury.
And that love?
Itâs showing up in quiet, powerful ways.
In the way you listen.
In the way you make hand-me-downs feel like treasure. In the way you turn one gift into magic on Christmas morning. In the way you laugh with them,
hug them, make space for their joy even when youâre carrying worry behind your eyes.
Your child may not have it allâ but if they have you,
they have so much more than most.
Theyâre learning that fun doesnât need a price tag.
That connection can be found in card games at the kitchen table, walks around the block, stories read from borrowed books.
And one dayâ when theyâre grown and reflecting on their childhoodâ they wonât remember what they didnât have.
Theyâll remember how they felt.
Safe.
Seen.
Loved.
Youâre giving them something deeper than stuff.
Youâre giving them presence.
And thatâs what shapes hearts far more than anything wrapped in shiny paper.
Youâre doing a beautiful job,
even on the days it doesnât feel like it.
Your child is loved, and itâs more than enough.