Work From Home Couple

I used to love the Chicago Tribune, my hometown newspaper. But the powers that be at the proud, old paper have redesigned the thing. Now the paper reads like USA Today: lots of graphs, short stories and dumbed-down news.

I was reminded of this when I opened the paper this morning to be greeted by a big front-page story on the challenges parents are having telling their children that they won’t be getting quite as many Christmas presents this year because of the rough economy. Parents, it seems, can’t spend as much on their kids this year as they’ve been able to when the economy’s been more robust.

OK, maybe I’m a bit heartless. But this is a front-page story? This is big news? Kids have been spoiled for years on Christmas. This one time they might not get every single present they want? I’m sorry, but this story doesn’t exactly turn on the waterworks for me.

Maybe these parents need to remind themselves and their children that there are people suffering from very real problems this holiday season. Many don’t have enough to eat. Many have lost their jobs. Some are on the verge of losing their homes. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

I don’t mean to be a killjoy. I do like Christmas. And like any parent, I love to give my sons their favorite gifts on Christmas morning. But my sons also won’t be crushed if they don’t get the exact present they want. It’s time we all grew up a bit.

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