Please let me know if I'm getting on my high horse but I think I need a reality check because I dont know if I've lost the plot. My parents live in a large house in a well-off area and even though we never talk about money (taboo!) they are probably not in need of a bob or two. They have been retired for over ten years but they are in good health and they go on holiday at least four times each year, at least two of which is a long haul holiday or a cruise. They are currently planning to spend a large quantity of cash on revamping their kitchen.
This may sound very unreasonable but I wish they would recognise their GC (my three wonderful DCs) more when birthdays and Christmas come around. It was my DD's birthday yesterday (10 years already - where did the time go?!) and she received a £10 in a card together with a Liberty bath set (body butter, anyone?) that was so obviously bought in the after Christmas sales. Usually the gifts are simply a £20 note inside an envelope at both Christmas and birthdays and my DH and I often laugh that the total amount that they spend on presents for their GCs each year is about half the Winter Fuel Allowance that they receive from the Govt. In contrast, woe betide us if my mother doesn't receive a bouquet of flowers on Mothers Day and her birthday.
I know that love can't be measured in material terms and I hate myself for thinking in this way, but given that my parents make very little effort to get involved with our day-to-day activities or help us out in practical ways (we live about 40 miles from them) I had hoped that they might demonstrate their love/commitment to their GCs in other ways. I did tentatively broach the subject over the Christmas holidays when I asked them whether they were investing any of their money for their GC's future but their response made me think I had horns growing out of my head! What do you all think?