How much is enough?
Caroline Correia • March 25, 2021
Growing up, I remember hearing the words: “We are trying to give you what we never had as kids” a lot. My parents worked long hours to provide the things that they thought that we needed and would be hard done by if we did not have them. Materialistically, we wanted for nothing and had everything from mountain bicycles to the latest hifis and we considered ourselves to be very fortunate.
As a parent, I have often found myself repeating the phrase that I heard so often in my youth. Lately I find myself wondering just how much is enough? What do I have to give my children that I did not have? The answer to this question is nothing. My children want for nothing, they have food in their tummies, a roof over their heads, a warm comfortable bed to sleep in and clothes on their back. They are rich in love and I keep their emotional buckets filled to the brim so that no-one can poke holes in their self-image that will leave any permanent damage. Why then do I feel like they are lacking and that I need to give them more? Could it be that I have lost sight of what my children actually need in my pursuit to keep them happy in an age where technology and materialistic stuff equates with happiness? If this is the case, am I the only parent who has lost sight of what is important? Perhaps I am and I own it.
If this is the case and the phrase “We are trying to give you what we never had as kids” is passed from one generation to the other, what expectations am I setting my children up for? How much more will they have to give their children to make this phrase true? The thought that the expectations for children receiving and getting is becoming far greater than what I think parents can cope with is very real. Parents work long and hard to provide for their children what they did not have as children. Sometimes the cost of this is detrimental as parents miss out on what is actually important: spending quality time with their children.
I have come to the realisation that children do not need the latest of everything to feel validated and loved and if they do, we as parents have somehow failed them. Children need to be taught to value what they have and respect what they can get and what their parents are able to afford. They need to be taught not to make their parents feel guilty if they have not got the latest iPhone 12 or a brand new out-of-the-box car for their 18th. Maybe, we as parents, need to take a step back and re-evaluate our need to give and cater to instant gratification. Perhaps it would be pertinent for us to allow our children the satisfaction of having to save pocket money and buy their own phone or brand takkies. I am sure that if they were taught the value of appreciating what they have and not of what they want, then we can break the cycle of trying to give our children what we never had.
To this day, I am not sure what it is my parents never had, because they had all the things that my children have, and I had all the things that they did.
Twenty years of trusted education meets expanded opportunities, greater accessibility and future-ready learning from January 2027. Families across Hartbeespoort can look forward to an even stronger independent school offering as Pecanwood College becomes Pinnacle College Pecanwood from January 2027. The transition brings together two decades of local educational excellence with the academic strength, innovation and opportunities offered by the expanding Pinnacle Colleges network. Current and prospective families stand to benefit from a school that retains everything the community values while opening the door to even greater opportunities. Pinnacle College Pecanwood will preserve the school's caring culture, close relationships, boarding facilities, IEB curriculum, sporting tradition and vibrant co-curricular programme, while providing students access to a broader network recognised for academic excellence, future-focused learning and preparation for life beyond school. Pecanwood College has proudly served the Hartbeespoort community for 20 years, offering education from the early years through to Grade 12, including boarding. Dedicated teachers, a nurturing environment, strong IEB academic results and diverse sporting and cultural opportunities have established the school as a respected educational institution in the region. That solid foundation will now be enhanced through the wider Pinnacle Colleges network. Students and teachers will benefit from shared academic expertise, established operational excellence and opportunities to participate in broader academic, cultural and sporting initiatives across multiple campuses. Pinnacle Colleges equips students for tertiary education and successful careers through a balanced approach that combines academic excellence with innovation, career guidance, coding and robotics, technology-enabled learning and holistic personal development. Respect, responsibility and a strong sense of community remain central to every campus experience. Academic success already defines Pecanwood College. The Class of 2025 achieved an impressive 98.59% matric pass rate, a 94.36% Bachelor's Degree pass rate and an average of 1.9 distinctions per student. Pinnacle College Pecanwood will build on these achievements through strengthened academic systems, shared expertise and continued commitment to outstanding IEB education. The name Pinnacle College Pecanwood honours both the school's proud heritage and its exciting future. Twenty years of commitment by students, teachers, families and the wider community remain firmly embedded in the school's identity, while its new name reflects membership of one of South Africa's fastest-growing independent school groups dedicated to innovation, accessibility and student success. Hartbeespoort families can now enjoy the best of both worlds: a close-knit community lifestyle paired with access to a high-quality independent education close to home. Pinnacle College Pecanwood is well positioned to become the school of choice for families seeking exceptional academic opportunities, future-ready skills and an environment where every student can thrive.
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