tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37095225.post-64984272941347997952008-04-23T11:17:00.000-04:002008-04-23T11:17:00.000-04:002008-04-23T11:17:00.000-04:00What an AWESOME post!!!!! I think things like this ALL THE TIME!!! I too worry about this materialistic culture and how in the world to teach true appreciation in it. You said it all so perfectly. Our kids play sports too, and what you described about his first game is how I feel so often. We buy cleats at Play it Again sports or wear hand-me-downs. Most of their equipment is used. We went to Dick's last year because our oldest (13 at the time) HAD to have cleats to play and we couldn't find his size anywhere used, even on our church listserve. We went to the shoe section and I immediately went for the two cheapest models. I don't even see the more expensive "cool" ones because we would NEVER buy them. While we were there, one of his teammates came in with his dad. They went immediately to the most expensive cleats, the "cool" ones. The ones that cost over 100.00. And I sat there and wondered at the mentality that most parents seem to have that of course they buy and buy and buy for their kids, and not economical things, but the most expensive just because they are "cooler". And I wondered how people afford it. If they are buying hundreds of dollars of equipment for every season, every sport, every child, every...well, the list goes on, that adds up to thousands of dollars. Seriously, how do they even do it? If you had two incomes, that would help, but still. Are they all in debt? I just don't get it. And it's always a struggle to not feel guilty when all the parents around us are spending on their kids like that. But the value of things is such an IMPORTANT thing to teach kids. We just have to keep praying and plugging away on it.<BR/>TTYS - SnizSnizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12609352449272402863noreply@blogger.com