It never ceases to amaze me how competitive parents can be. Little Josh must walk before everyone else in my post-natal group, little Hannah must have the best clothes. Often at their personal expense I have seen parents who have gone without new clothes to ensure their children have the latest outfit or toy.

Is this insanity or parental adoration? In reality it’s probably a mix of both. But perhaps the key word here is priority.

Is it wrong to want your child to be the first, the best? Is it more life-affirming to teach them the ‘less is more’ life skill? Life as a parent of two children has taught me not to express an opinion on this matter for fear of a lynching by the keyboard warriors patrolling the virtual streets I now hang out on (minus the designer clothing I always craved as a younger me). But rather to say (with splinters digging firmly into my derrière) that we must do what makes us happy as parents, for what we put in is largely what we get out.

Now please excuse me while I trawl the internet looking for this year’s must-have toy before I work out whether it’s Hollister or Primark for my husband’s Christmas present this year (didn’t I say I have seen parents go without clothes to ensure their children have the best?!).

Laura

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