My 15 year old just got back from overseas touring a couple of countries, and it occurred to me that I had not done half of what he has done by 15. He is a good kid and does what he is told, so I felt like he deserves this trip. But now after it is over and he is home, I wonder am I giving him great opportunities or spoiling him?
He is appreciative, don't get me wrong. Am I doing a disservice to him by sending him on a trip that I have always dreamed of but never wanted to spend that kind of money on myself? I want to instill the love of traveling to all of my children, but maybe I went a little overboard on this trip. Seeing Italy and Spain are on a lot of my friends' to-do lists, but like me, they just haven't found the time or can't justify spending that money.
Did our parents and their generation feel this way about us? Their parents? Maybe this is normal when we realize that we ARE giving our kids a little better life than we had (my life was filled with great things that are hard to top). Only time will tell whether I have borne a love for traveling in this kid, or created a spoilt monster that thinks he will get whatever he wants whenever he asks. Back to reality today, he is doing his laundry and weedeating.