Lessons from the Big Top

Sunday Dotty and I went to the circus that was visiting Wichita Falls. Let me state here in some areas of my life I am very tight and in other areas I am not. This line can also change based on my mood, the day, the weather, what I ate for breakfast, etc. Basically I try not to spend money unnecessarily but I like to enjoy life and I want Dotty to experience a lot of things and enjoy all I can offer her. However, I cannot offer her the entire Big Top! While we had fun at the circus I felt awful for having to tell Dotty "no" to almost everything she asked for...but she asked for EVERYTHING! For starters it cost me $24 to get us both in to sit on hard metal bleacher seats. Then she wanted toys, food (we ate right before we got there), snow cones, glow sticks, her face painted, to ride the animals...you name it...she wanted it! I didn't bring much cash with me so I told her I just had enough money for her to either get a toy or ride one animal. As you can see...she chose to ride the elephant. Eight bucks and ninety seconds later the ride was over and Dotty was wanting to do more! I felt like the worst mother ever...but at the same time I was trying to explain to Dotty that her "prize" was getting to GO to the circus...and she did get to ride the elephant. Well as you can imagine...that went over about as well as a 300 pound flying trapeze artist...not so good! We left the circus and Dotty's exact words to me were "I am never taking you to the Circus again Mommy!" Wow...I felt the love there! I don't know what to do with this girl. I know it is hard to explain to kids that they can't have everything they see and trying to explain money is hard to a 4 year old who thinks that there is no difference between a one dollar bill and a one hundred dollar bill. At one point Dotty even told me "Go to that blue machine that Daddy goes to...it gives you more money there." I didn't even attempt to explain ATMs to her. I worry that our trip to Disney World in September is not going to be much fun if I have to tell her "no" to everything. I worry about that a lot. How do you raise a child to be content with what she has...yet at the same time strive to achieve more in life? Where is the "Raising a Four Year Old for Dummies" book on this one?!?! I hope I am doing the right thing by Dotty. It isn't easy to teach those hard life lessons when your little one is tearing up. I swear the saying I heard a hundred times..."this hurts me more than it will ever hurt you"...is SOOOOO TRUE!