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6 Things Your Children Will Be Truly Grateful For

What will your children be grateful for when they look back on their childhood?

Will it be all the toys they had, or the fashionable clothes they wore, or the technology they had access to, or any of the other things that tempt us parents to spend money?

I doubt it.

6 Things Your Children Will Be Truly Grateful For

Instead I believe our children will be grateful for…

1. The undivided and loving attention of their parents,

2. A home that is a haven, safe and secure,

3. Family and friends who take time to listen,

4. Knowing what real food is and where it comes from,

5. Simple holidays with family and friends, and

6.  The space and time to learn through real play.

I know that when I look back on my childhood the things I’m grateful for have nothing to do with money or materialistic possessions.

How about you? What do you hope your children will be grateful for?



Tricia is a nature-loving mum passionate about learning to live better with less. Working in threatened species conservation she has gained an increasing appreciation of the huge impact our consumption habits have on the environment. She hopes to inspire other families to live a little better with less too. Having recently made a 'tree change', you'll now likely find Tricia excitedly playing outdoors with her daughter, adding to her small flock of chooks and pottering in her new garden. 

Read more of Tricia's adventures at http://littleecofootprints.com/.

Read the comments or scroll down to add your own:

  2. wordplayhouse™ says

    September 21, 2011 at 8:59 PM

    Yes. Right you are. I'd like them to look back at our slow-paced days enjoying the outdoors, reading together, swinging in the hammock, and drawing together. The childhood I want them to have and remember.

  6. Ashu says

    September 27, 2011 at 10:42 PM

    Christie...Lovely post.I just hope when my daughter grow up she will remmeber fun time we are spending towards exploring nature and our fun time of activity we are doing together.

  7. Margaret@GrowingPlay says

    February 11, 2016 at 2:08 AM

    So true and well said! I just wrote a post about this. I am highly concerned that childrens and parents' overuse of technology will greatly affect childhood memories. I want my children to look back on their childhood and remember all the fun they had outdoors, camping, playing cards, board games, hiking, swimming, fishing, sledding, and exploring. They may also remember watching movies together, playing Family Feud on the iPad, videoing crazy skits they created or geocaching. Might sound trite but they only live once! Read my post here http://growingplay.blogspot.com/2016/01/what-looks-like-more-fun.html

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