Keeping Up With The Joneses
Dear Frankie,
Winter break at my doggie daycare is just around the corner. Several dogs have talked about going on a family vacation. I asked my mom if our family had plans to go away.
She said, “You’ve got to be kidding; I can hardly keep our heads above water financially.”
I know sooner or later, one of the daycare dogs will ask me about my vacation plans. I don’t want to lie. I also don’t want anyone to know that my family is poor and can’t afford a vacation.
Do you have any suggestions for what I should say?
Hattie
Dear Hattie,
I suspect your mom’s response was more sarcastic or dramatic than truthful. If your family lived on the edge, you wouldn’t be attending a fancy private doggie daycare. Vacations are a luxury and expensive. They are not a necessity or the staff of life.
Some families don’t see the value of blowing a wad of dough for a week of fun. Other families value saving their extra funds and building a nest egg.
There are also nonfinancial reasons why families don’t go on vacation. They dislike the stress and hassle involved in traveling. They prefer to use their free time to read, go on day excursions, work on their hobbies, or entertain.
If someone asks you about your winter break plans, say, my family doesn’t take winter family vacations.
Then turn the conversation around and ask, “What are your family’s plans for the winter break?”
Don’t be surprised if they say nothing special, getting up late, hanging out in our PJs, watching TV, playing video games, making cookies, going on hikes, etc.
In other words, winter break is no big deal.
Best, Frankie
© 2022 Geneva Woodruff
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