Oh how wonderful it must be to be a child without a care in the world. Where all that matters is playing dress ups and superheroes. Where your imagination exists on the same level as your reality.
I have always had plans and ideas about how I wanted my children's childhood to be. I wanted it to be magical and carefree. I wanted them to have adventures and go to bed each night with smiles on their little faces. Most of all I want them to be able to look back at their childhood and say "wow, that was amazing!"...and then reality sets in and I wonder in the midst of all the spilt cereal and dirty nappies if I am really providing them with that magical childhood that I had envisioned for them? Will they in reality grow up to think that "yeah, its was an okay childhood, but Mum was grumpy a lot" or "We spent a lot of time watching tv or YouTube"
I try hard, I assure you I try to make it wonderful and fantastic for them. But some days it just doesn't happen. Some days require housework and some days I operate on very very minimal sleep. What I have realised most though is that it isn't the big stuff that makes a child's life wonderful. Sure it helps but it is not the important part.
What makes it wonderful is knowing that they are loved and adored and that someone listens to their lame jokes. It's knowing that they are special to someone. When you think back on your own childhood its not usually the places you went or the things you did that made it great (or not so great) it was the feelings you had. It was that warm snuggly feeling or climbing into bed at the end of the day to read "just one more story" or that time your siblings nad you made that huge fort in the lounge.
And I can do that! I can make sure my children know they are loved and adored and that they are special. That doesn't take money or grand plans. It's paid for in hugs and kisses and a mountain of bedtime stories.