The child wants a pair of expensive designer jeans. But right now, we just can't afford them. The parents are trying to deal with the high cost of living. The father doesn't get the raise he was expecting. And there's no way we can afford to waste money on cable TV anymore.
Parents buy a birthday gift.
Maybe I shouldn't be asking my friends over to shoot pool-Dad would have a fit if anybody put a tear in the felt. If a child complains about a gift or suggests he should have a pool table like the kids next door, give him a straightforward explanation that you bought the nicest gift the family could afford at this time. Mom was laid off several months back, and the family can't make ends meet on Dad' s income alone. Now the new living room set has been repossessed. A moving van is parked out front and two men are carrying out the sofa.