This has really opened my eyes. I need to do more things with my daughter. Yes I work five days a week, but that doesn't mean that I can't be out and doing things with her. That is my next goal.... Thanks girls. I really needed this.

I agree to combination of both!! if its updating our house to make it more effeciant for us than its worth the money! we Live here and need to make it our house and be a family here!!

I also Think there are soo many things we can do as a family that dont cost money like have a picnoc in the backyard!! or even just play ball!! its those things that I find as things I dont regret and wont forget!!

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We try to focus more on experiences. I regard travel VERY highly... I totally believe that the world is the best classroom. That's one of the reasons I took advantage of an opportunity to bring my oldest to England this year. It was an incredible experience for her that she'll never forget. When I was a junior in high school and a Spanish student, my parents paid for me to go with my class to Spain for two weeks. Another one of my friends' parents bought her a used car instead. I'm guessing her '84 LeBaron (or whatever it was) has long been in the junk yard; but my memories have helped create the person I am today.

It's not just travel, but those "family" times are the best thing you can give a child. Isn't there a saying about kids needing your "presence" not your "presents"?? I totally agree.

This could be a spinoff thread, but I've read that experiences are the new "it" thing to have for the rich. People will spend BIG bucks for outlandish, incredible experiences that nobody else has.

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We try for both and not all of it costs a lot of money. Our vacation this summer is Disney and I sure hope they have that memory forever, but we wont do those kinds of vacations every year.
Kathryn, I have too say we did choose Disney over the new floors enjoy Disney while the kids were younger and save the floors when they are a little older and I am done with having a small daycare in my house.

When I was a kid my grandparents beleived expierences were the best and they were big time travelers. Every Easter we went to North Carolina (Emerald Island.) When I was in 8th grade my history teacher offered anyone traveling to DC extra credit if they wrote a small report and brought back some postcards. I told my grandma, guess what on the way to NC we went to DC for a day! That is a memory I will always have.

We are a pretty big experience family. We have done the Disney thing quite a bit, but we also have done smaller family experiences right at home. A tent in the backyard is a pretty memorable experience to a 4 year old! lol

It is fun sometimes, and eye opening, to talk to our kids, especially our 7 year old, to see what he remembers as fun when he was younger. Some of his memories are really surprising. Not the big trips or his brother arriving, those are big, but not the first thing out of his mouth. Instead he remembers when we went out to eat and let him get a grown up drink or something like that.

I try to lean more towards experiences. The girls will remember things like dance, gymnastics, trips to the library, going to the pumpkin patch each year, visiting a farm, camping in the backyard or in the basement. We are saving for a trip to Disney in the next couple years. There are plenty of amusement parks around the midwest--we just got back from Mall of America. The girls enjoy going to the children's museum and science station also.

we are definately more the experience family dh and i when we were first married did not do those things but once we had kids it became important. we don't have alot of money to do huge vacations but we do weekend trips to close by zoos and attractions. my kids love the fairs and we go to the old thresher reunion every labor day weekend..that is the one thing the boys look forward to every year. 2 years ago we did mt rushmore and either next year or the year after we are gonna do it again it was a long drive but we all had a blast doing the tourist thing..we rented a cabin and did the closest thing to roughing it i can lol....our new thing we started last year was going to the apple orchard that is a memory we are still talking about..

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We are all about the experiences too. We try to have simple and nice things, but we work hard and save our money so that I can be home, and so that we can take fun trips.

we love going and doing things, which is why we don't get much done around our house. Most of the renovations needed are simple - painting, etc. and I do get so frustrated some times that nothing is done. However, it's usually when people are coming over, so I guess that is an entirely different problem.

DH and I are quick to blow off painting to go to the zoo all day with the kids. We love to vacation and probably spend a good chunk of money on it every year. We have the best family time on our beach vacations - literally playing on the beach all day. We like to visit some sights, but we reserve most of our time to just hang out.

since we are remolding our home ourselves we make "things" an "experience." We let the kids help us. yes it takes ALOT longer sometimes. we have pics of dd helping lay our wood floors she was about 2 and she loved it. I had the girls help lay tiles in the basement bathroom.

we also do regualr experience things like camping. I am currently saving for a trip to dig for diamonds.

allgirls

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allgirls, mom to 3 girls