To ask what would be more important to you:

[BigRedBall]

Giving your children nice home cooked food, fruit and vegetables they can eat from the bowl whenever they want, nice clothes and shoes and nice uniform (meaning at least 2-3 dresses/trousers and tights, socks etc for the week) all year around. Occasional holidays and days out.

OR

Taking them on holiday every school break, taking them out of school for days out so they have happy memories of going on holidays as children.

I mean what would you spend your money on if you had it? Only one or the other.

[meerschweinchen]

First option without a doubt! Would never take mine out of school during term time anyway.

[DragonMamma]

Option 1.

I had a mixture of both however and that's what I aim for with my DCs.

[HolidayCriminal]

I don't understand 2nd part, wish MN had an edit button, is this about taking them on hols 6x a year or during term time or what?

[georgesdino]

2

[LEMmingaround]

Id like either. Dd goes to school in pta secondhand uniform. Food ok though. The clothes less important to me but cant afford holiday anyway but would choose it over clothes. Shoes cost ££££

[georgesdino]

I will expand on that we have been on 4 holidays in last 12 months, but Im not one to waste money on lots of clothes as its not what Im in to.

[BigRedBall]

HolidayCriminal holidays 3-4 times a school year during holidays and days out during half terms and school days.

[BlackeyedSusan]

what good are memories if you have buggered their health with junk food?

be careful of the fruiton tap though dd has trouble with teeth and we think it is down to fruit.

[Impatientismymiddlename]

You have to feed and clothe your children regardless of whether you go on holiday or not so I don't really understand the question because basic good quality school uniform is not that expensive and decent food is not much more expensive than junk food.

[drnoitall]

I do not understand the relevance of this.
Option 1 is what most decent parents do/want/ strive to achieve and option 2 encompasses that by virtue surely.
Holidays are nice but you don't need to make fuss and travel hours to be someplace nice.

[JuniperTisane]

No. 1. Happy memories don't need to come from holidays and days out all over the place. If a child is secure, fed well, comfortable and happy at home thats the foundation to build a happy childhood.

[WooWooOwl]

Weird question!

The first one, obviously.

[BeckAndCall]

So in option two they don't have clothes and food? Or just not as nice clothes? And food you don't think is so nice or suitable? Not sure why home cooked = expensive ?

[AMumInScotland]

Option 1 - I don't think taking them out of school for days out is a good example, and is likely to backfire when they feel like taking days out when they reach their teens. Plus, lots of holidays doesn't make 'more' good memories than an occasional 'exciting' holiday plus having the chance to run around the back garden/park on half term.

And skimping on everyday things like decent food and clothes is not going to be outweighed by 'fun' outings.

[HauntedNoddyCar]

So your choice is feeding and clothing them properly or going on lots of jollies?

Well feeding and clothing them would be my priority.

If you mean clothing them in Boden and feeding them organic hand woven aubergines versus no days out ever then I'll buy supermarket clothes and handmedowns and have a summer holiday.

[georgesdino]

I was thinking more than 1 was excess clothes eg the mums and das who spend 1000s on their childrens clothes. My friend spent 4k on mainly next clothes by the time her child was aged 4. Im not really in to clothes so spent it all on holidays.

[Birdsgottafly]

Realistically you only need a change of clothes to be clean, one to wear and one to wash, especially summer dresses.

I was fed on crap growing up, my Mum has strange ideas about how to feed children.

I am now Vegan, I don't have sugar or white bread, so I think that you can overcome bad eating habits. Health isn't badly effected by a bad childhood diet, Humans are really good at surviving and making use of food.

I would say a mix of 1 + 2, obviously.

But I think that it's nice to see the country that we reside in and travel.

It depends on the impact of that travel on Homework etc.

My Dad was from SA and was in the Merchant Navy, so time at home was driving around the UK, which was the best part of my childhood.

[LiberalLibertine]

Happy memories can come just as well from picnics in the garden, paddling pool, friends over for bbqs, odd day at the beach, camping, fire in the back yard, dog walks in the woods....this was all we did last summer holidays and out kids had a wonderful time.

To answer though is a no brainer, kids need decent food and shoes.

[aufaniae]

I also don't understand the question. We are pretty skint yet manage both healthy food, school uniform and holidays. You don't need to go abroad or spend lots of money to create memories with your DCs.

[BigRedBall]

blackeyedsusan yes that's true, but giving a piece of fruit for morning break time would be important wouldn't it?
And breakfast would be pretty important too.

[HolidayCriminal]

Is this your choice OP, or something you've observed in others & are trying to understand? Coz I would have thought pretty obvious that Option 1 is far preferable.

[CoffeeTea103]

Definitely 1. You don't need holidays to have happy family memories.

[georgesdino]

Option 1 is very cheap to do and I thought is mainly a given. Thats why I saw it as the person was buying excessive clothes or material things.

[BigRedBall]

By nice clothes I don't mean designer or anything but at least things like socks and jumpers to keep children warm when they're obviously freezing and shoes that fit properly and don't give child blisters