When I was growing up, as I have written before there were no luxuries in life. Certainly not on a daily basis and this was due to the fact that I grew up in a single parent household and my mum simply didn’t have the money to buy me the lastest shoes, clothes or toys. I dread to think what it would have been like to be growing up in this age of technology with smart phones, designer clothes and all the latest gear that our children seem to have a must have attitude towards.
I have often wondered if that has made me the soft touch that I am with my own children and OMG! I am seriously a soft touch and usually only have to be asked for something once and I genuinely think it’s in my DNA that I find it impossible to say no to my children.
My children are now 21, 19, 18 and 5 year old twins and invariably they only have to ask me once and I get whatever they want. That is as long as it’s affordable. Saying that I will go without if my children get what they want, but surely that’s what being a parent is all about? You will go the extra mile a little bit more than is most likely necessary to just put a smile on your child’s face.
What worries most, although it never seems to change my ways, is that I am nurturing spoilt children. That they only need to ask and they receive.
In today’s world peer pressure doesn’t just apply to children. I believe it’s directly affecting parents of children. I have lost count of how many times my older children, when they were in high school came home saying not that they would like something, but that they must have something because all their friends have got it and they don’t want to be the odd one out. This is then followed by pleading and begging and then wearing you down until you get whatever it is they want, which for me never took very long.
Of course the danger of this type of behaviour is that we now have a generation of young people that rather than learning that you need to work to earn money to buy the luxuries of life, it really is a dangerous game. I often look at my five year old twins and look at the abundance of toys they have and have had and our lounge and their bedroom is full of toys they simply don’t touch. Of course the problem with my five year old twins is if we give them too much. We are possibly setting ourselves to have to go bigger and better and of course more expensive as they get older.
The question I ask myself is am I compensating my lack of luxuries as a child by indulging my own children in far too many luxuries that in truth they probably could do without and if they only had half of what they get, they would most likely still be happy.
I would love to know your thoughts. Do you over-indulge your children?
5 Comments
Karen, the next best thing to mummy
June 12, 2017 at 6:16 pm
I don’t think that over indulging children is doing them any favours, it’s a hard world and they have to learn that you can’t have everything you want in life, I have written on behaviour management also
Anthony
June 13, 2017 at 1:28 am
Yeah a tough one, there is always someone who has the next best toy… We encourage creative play and crafting (easier with young children admittedly).
Lucy At Home
June 13, 2017 at 2:13 pm
We didn’t have much money growing up either, and I remember we NEVER went out for food anywhere (not even McDonald’s). Now I have my own family, we love going out for food. We still don’t have loads of money but I think it’s important to be able to do treats every so often, and food is something that the whole family can enjoy together #triumphanttales
Laura @ Dot Makes 4
June 17, 2017 at 7:38 am
It’s a tough one isn’t it! I’m guilty of this too. I love to treat the kids, but they probably don’t need half the things I treat them to!
I’ve made a conscious effort to make great memories with them instead, as that’s what they’ll remember when they’re older. 🙂
#triumphanttales
Jaki
June 19, 2017 at 3:22 pm
Guilty as charged. I always said I wouldn’t do it but there’s something in me that just wants my little boy to be so happy. I know I give him too much and he needs to learn he needs to earn things. It’s hard though isnt it?! Thanks for joining in at #TriumphantTales, hope to see you back tomorrow.