One Thing I Learnt as a Mum: It’s Not What You Spend, It’s the Time You Give
When our children were small and we were living in army married quarters in Germany, money was tight. I remember standing in the little NAAFI shop, working out what we could afford, and hoping the children wouldn’t notice the difference between what we had and what other families had.
But here’s the truth I didn’t understand back then, and it’s taken years, plus seven grandchildren, to fully appreciate it:
Children rarely remember what you spent.
They remember the moments you shared.
My children don’t reminisce about the toys or the presents or the things I worried weren’t “good enough.”
Instead, they talk about:
📖 The stories we read at bedtime.
🖍 Colouring at the kitchen table.
🔧 Making things from scrap because buying new wasn’t an option.
❤️ The cosy feeling of being together, even when things were hard.
Those ordinary moments became the parts of their childhood they treasure most, and I suspect many families today feel the same.
That’s why, as Andy and I build Weebert’s World, this idea sits at the heart of everything we do:
Childhood magic doesn’t come from money.
It comes from imagination, connection and feeling safe.
And with the cost of living stretching so many families, something we feel deeply after living those years ourselves, we wanted to create something that would help.
Not something expensive.
Not something complicated.
Just something meaningful.
So this Christmas, we’ve created three completely free Weebert’s World downloads for families, teachers and early years settings:
🎄 Our children’s story – How The Berts Saved Christmas
A gentle, imaginative tale about teamwork, kindness and finding solutions when things go wrong.
🖍 A Cuddly Berts colouring book
Perfect for quiet moments, calming after school, or keeping children busy while you get five minutes of peace.
🔧 STEM activity ideas using everyday scrap
Simple, screen-free activities that spark creativity and curiosity, and cost nothing to make.
There’s no sign-up and no email wall.
Just click, download and enjoy.
Because after everything we’ve lived through, the years of Andy being away on tour, raising small children on a tight budget, and now stepping into this new chapter with Weebert’s World, we know the difference small kindnesses can make.
And we know that for many families, the worry of “getting Christmas right” can become overwhelming.
But here’s something I wish someone had told me when I was a young mum, feeling like everyone else had it all sorted:
Your children will remember how you made them feel … not what you could afford.
They’ll remember your voice reading to them.
They’ll remember the colours on the page.
They’ll remember the things you made together.
They’ll remember you.
So if you’re navigating a tight budget this year, please know this:
You are enough.
Your love is enough.
And the moments you’re creating, often without even realising, are the ones they will treasure for life.
If you’d like the free story, the colouring book or the STEM ideas, they’re waiting for you here:
From our family to yours,
with love
Lotty & Andy xx
