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As parents, we often talk about giving our kids all the big things we didn’t have when we were young.

Even though I frequently tell my kids they don’t need any more stuff and I privately pledge not to buy them any more “junk”, I still find myself stopping in store aisles to find ways to treat them.

In fact, even though we just consigned a ton of costumes and finally came to the realization that my daughter has most likely grown out of that phase, I still almost bought her another Ariel costume.

That’s when it hit me – I’m really not buying this stuff for my kids (in fact, they don’t even ask me for most of it) – I’m buying it for myself.

The truth is, I like the rush that comes from watching my kids receive those gifts. I craved the adoration I received when I gave them a present.

So the other night I performed a little experiment. I turned off the tv, got them out of their room and got on the floor with them in the family room. We tickled, we wrestled and we laughed until it hurt. I would venture to say that I haven’t seen them so delighted in quite some time.

Had I just spent $100 on the latest toy craze? No
Had I just taken them out for an ice cream sundae? No

The only thing I gave them was my time and attention…and it was all they needed.

Take a little time today to evaluate what commodity you’re using with your own kids. You just might find you’re overspending in areas where you shouldn’t be and undervaluing other very important areas as a result.