Moms cutting personal spending to buy children gifts

I can now tell why the author is unemployed. Mom's do not buy things for themselves, so the children can have presents? How about parents or adults do without......... I know my father did without, quite often. I, as a father, limit what I spend so that my children can have more. This is just being a good parent; mother or father. Quit separating males and females, moms and dads. We all, or most, wish for our children to have the best that we can offer. A comparison of men's and women's apparel sales is provided. WOMEN'S SALES DOWN......... Who spent more on apparel in the first place? I know that men just love to shop.

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So what's new, mothers have been sacrificing for their children long before our curent problems.

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Uhh... actually, I am employed, a mom, and a wife. No, my husband rarely shops apparel for himself. I do that for him, so the numbers still stand. I will put my kids and husband first. Moms are still the ones who go without.

I wonder if the numbers are the same on electronics? While I am scrimping to have enough to make a nice holiday with family gifts that will give us more to do together (rather than giving my kids individual gifts that I can't afford), my husband is still out buying gadgets for himself! Not that he doesn't want the best for his kids, he just isn't the one worrying about it with his wife handling it.

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To think someone would suggest that moms give up more than dads is absolutely absurd. This is the most sexist comment of the century. Fathers do worry about their children and give up quite alot. How many fathers are not buying that car or motorcycle or whatever, so that their children have?

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This article is a fabricated lie.

The "recession" has hit men probably 3 or 4 times harder through loss of employment. There was a figure out maybe 2 quarters ago showing women gaining jobs to the tune of over a half million opposed to men (largely in construction) losing jobs at that time of about 300k! I'm sure the negative figures have climbed vastly from 2 Q's ago.

Maybe the author's a different kind of "man" but real men just work & keep their mouths shut while supplying the needs for their families never once worrying about their own needs.

The bottom line is real "parents & families" do it together not worrying about who gets less.. It's about the family first & this article is unfairly prejudiced as usual against the "neutered" men of our country...

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One more thing,, women control probably 80% of consumerism in the household. All things being relevant, if they're cuting back 18% vs. men cutting back 8% of self purchasing that means women are still buying more by the numbers than men so the higher % drop means less..

Sorry folks, articles like this just rub me the wrong way,, I'm a man & I towed the line for my family! They came first & all I wanted was a smile & hot meal...

Have a nice Thanksgiving everyone....

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Christmas is way too commercialized only because YOU want it to be. Why would ANYONE stand outside a store all night for a toy? That's crazy. There's NO NEED to spend all that money for toys.

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here is a great place to shop, they have free games to play coupons and loads of stores. never have to leave the site.http://www.e-bookssite.com

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The entire 'women are heroes' and 'men are dunces' mentality in this country has just about run it's course. Men are finally waking up to this male bashing and father diminishing society. Those that think we will go 'quietly into that good night' are dreaming. Men and fathers have been sacrificing, oft times when mom was 'out shopping and doing for herself' for a very, very long time. Of course the media doesn't have the moral fiber to give men any credit in the home. About the only stories they do about men concern themselves with one-way domestic violence, rapists, child molesters, and murderers. This is patently gender bias and discrimination. Men need to push hard for a Men's National Organization to provide for the needs and support of men and fathers in this country. Nothing has changed for men in over 50 years and the 'pile on' mentality and male bashing from women is way past old. Women put down and humiliate men in order to elevate their own selfish interests. Equal rights? I think not. No one died and left women in charge or ownership of children. They are hardly better suited to care for them in any manner of speaking. The author of this article should be ashamed of himself; or herself, as the case may be. The hypocritical and double standard tone is glaringly evident and unacceptable, especially on Thanksgiving Day.

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Women generally spend more money than men do on clothing, so it's reasonable to assume they'd be the ones to cut back more. My husband and I both work, have a very good income between us, but I have cut back dramatically on personal expenditures. I haven't cut back in order to be able to afford gifts for the kids, but rather because I was spending too freely and accumulating too much stuff in our house. I have chosen to spend more wisely because I felt like a victim of advertising and no longer pull out my wallet whenever a retailer or etailer tries to get inside it. We ALL need to pull back, rich and poor, because there is just no reason to have all this stuff.

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REAL MOTHERS have ALWAYS SACRIFICED for their children with NO QUALMS!!! The only "MOTHERS" who are suffering are those SELFISH SELF CENTERED GOLD DIGGING WOMEN who thought they were MOTHERS just because they had kids!!!

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You know I dislike the mentality that all Mothers are great and are the only ones sacrificing. When in reality fathers, grandfathers and uncles and aunts are also going without inorder to buy for children this year. And it was obvious to me that the writer was unemployed cause he has mother's sitting down watching soap opera's or cartoons. Sorry but a lot of mothers work and so therefore cannot sit and watch soap opera's or cartoons during the day. And guess what, men have been hit bad this year due to the layoffs and so forth. Men do worry about providing for their families. Those men who go off ot work every day are not doing that just for their health, they are doing it for their families and the food on the table. So lets stop separating men and women and realize they both sacrifice and worry about the family.

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Moms are supposed to sacrafice.
If you don't want to sacrafice, then stop having so many kids
without a good dad around.

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I see all the men here are really upset with this story. But truth be told, women have always sacrificed for their children period. That is just part of being a mother. Yes I know there are some good dads out there, but all men must understand that children with a mother is so different with children with a father. We will always have strong bond with our children, because we had them, men didn't, and that makes a big difference. Now I'm now saying that men don't sacrfice because some of them do. But it will never be same to me for a mom and a child and a dad and a child, it just won't.

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No kidding?!
Is this person just now realizing that mothers, fathers, and even some grandparents go without in order to provide for their children?
The way this article came across sounded as if it was a new thing for mothers to put their children first. Aside from the the religious reasons holidays are celebrated, isn't GIVING gifts to others what we are supposed to do? Not going out and buying things for ourselves ( even though it is nice to find a deal ) I have 2 children, I knew what I was signing up for when I had them, I knew that I would do without, but what makes it better is to see the eyes of my children light up when I do something for them or buy something for them. I can live without all those little extras I was able to get when I was single and without children. What we need to realize is that while toys for your children are nice and they enjoy unwrapping presents, spending time together and creating lasting traditions will stay with them for a lifetime after most toys are long forgotten. Happiness and love can not be bought.

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You want the honest to GODS Truth about why parents sacrifice for their kids? Its because todays kids are SPLOILED BRATS, YES, you read it right, SPOILED BRATS. If your struggling, the kids dont care. If you say NO, they dont care, they will have the biggest temper tantrum and they dont care whos watching. If you say wait for it to go on sale, they dont care. If you say food, a roof over your head and clothes on your back is more important, the kids dont care. When your electricy is shut off or their is nothing to eat, the kids dont care. Kids today are greedy, selfish, spoiled rotten brats. My kids learned from a very very early age that life is not everything you want and most of the time its NO. My kids are not spoiled brats and they are the type of kids who will give 1/2 of their gifts to charity or at our local hospital for the less fortune kids who are greatly appreciate and cant be home for their birthday, holidays or how long their precious lives they have left with their families. So to all you parents who sacrifice for your SPOLIED KIDS, trying saying "NO" for once and see what happens.

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This is certainly true in my house. I am the one worrying about money and spending less on myself while my husband, as always, worries about his own selfish needs.

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I am the shopper in my family of three and I am very concerned over the extreme prices of food stuffs. It is hard to keep bread on the table, literally. Fortunately, I found a second job and will start soon. It was tough to find it, and it will be challenging working the graveyard shift, but I will do what I have to do. Having a basic apartment, food and electicity are the necessities I am hoping to have, well into 2009. Of course I am cutting back on luxuries, like presents and stuff. Everyone is feeling the pinch of the economy!

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If you are not willing to sacrifice than stop having so many kids and keep your family small. Good times never last and if you have any smarts you know this and prepare for it. The american mentality just living for the day is now coming home to roost in bad times. This country is NEVER prepared for bad times, to spoiled, pampered, selfish and selfcentered

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I can find pro's and con's in almost every statement that I have just read. I agree that most mom's like myself sacrifice for their family and home, but I can also honestly say that while my husband is an electronic guru he is also curving his spending to help with the rising cost of food and supplies for the home. My husband has done this because we COMMUNICATE. When I needed to refigure our budget to accommodate the rising cost. I simply talked to him about it and he being the loving and giving husband and father he is curved his spending habits as well as I did.

I also agree with the statement that the children of today's societies are just "Spoiled Brats"! They are the "ME Generation" because we have let them be! I have three teenagers that are loving and giving creatures but they also want what they want. I know the word "NO" and use it often, but that doesn't stop them from wanting and asking.

On an end note, I agree with the statement that men are stereotyped into being selfish uncaring creatures. My husband has sacrificed for this family far more than anyone else in it. He works all night, sleeps most of the day (because he needs to) and gets up the next to do it all over again without one complaint. He barely has the time to enjoy any of his hobbies or enjoyments because he's out there providing and sacrificing for his family almost every day of his life. Then when he does taken vacation time off of work he then spends it doing something that his "FAMILY" would enjoy doing, again without complaint!

I do agree that I sacrifice for my children and family often, BUT my hubby gets as much credit as I do!

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