[quote=flyer]Having raised our kids to adulthood in what might be perceived as a “entitled” area, I think it’s all about the values you instill in them as a parent, regardless of your financial situation.

As many others have mentioned, we exposed them to everything, but, as they got older, we made sure that, with our guidance, they knew they had to clearly decide the path their lives would take.

Although they had fun, we made sure they didn’t view school and other activities as lifetime hobbies, (as it seems many do today) but, rather, as a means to an end.

We’ve seen many friends who raised their kids with a sense of entitlement (whether they could afford it or not), but no clear direction or values. Talk about a recipe for disaster.

They ended up with kids who barely made it through college, if at all, who can do nothing, and are now back living at home, with no plan for the future, and all of them are pretty miserable.

IMHO, helping your kids find their chosen path in life is probably the best way to “spoil” your kids, and the greatest gift you can give
them–and yourself. At least it worked for us.[/quote]

Flyer,
Well said. I do think college is important but that may not necessary the be-all-end-all thing. I think it’s more important for the kids to have a clear direction of what they want in life and go for it. I consider myself blessed in that so far my kids have done alright. My youngest will be off to college (no it won’t cost us $250K/year) after this summer. It’s a mixed feeling, to some extend there’s a sense of relieve more than anything else, but then I think it’ll be strange to not have any of them around the house. Time flies.