Hilarie: I’m getting Seasonal Reflective Disorder

Sep 26 2009 by Hilarie Stelfox, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

FIRSTBORN has had an empty suitcase on his bedroom floor for the best part of a week.

On Thursday morning, as I roused him from his slumbers for a dental appointment, I noticed that it contained two of my best pillows: the new, extra-soft, hypoallergenic pillows bought for visitors.

“I need them for my house,’’ said the sleepy one.

The Boy always NEEDS things.

Last week he needed some cutlery and was caught in the act of helping himself to our Ikea knives and forks.

The week before he needed a new phone because his old one was dying (so he said). This necessitated spending a day trawling the internet for a replacement and a day of wrangling over its purchase.

My friends say we have spoiled him and I suspect that they’re right. But, as I keep saying to them, he’s good lad and our days of spoiling are numbered. What’s more, he’s my ‘shopping child’, the one who actually likes retail recreation. I like spoiling him.