Parents always want to do the right thing. You think you leave peer pressure behind when you enter adulthood but not a chance. You don't want your child to miss out and so you do what all the other parents do.
Hence the madness of the Santa parade.
I made sure my child didn't miss out on an experience every child in her pre-school class would be having, and we got through it. Only to discover, years later, that she has no memory of the event.
She remembers nothing of the monumental sacrifice I made for three years running. So with the parade on today, maybe this is the time to take your child to the zoo or the local park. There'll be carparks for Africa, you won't be jostling for position and a calm, relaxed parent will be worth remembering.
