Many parents struggle with this question – they may wonder if (or even worry that) their child is spoiled. But other parents believe children should be spoiled. The team at Package From Santa decided to explore this topic.
Before going further, we need to establish what it means to be ‘spoiled’. According to Dictionary.com, the definition of spoiled is: “to impair, damage, or harm the character or nature of (someone) by unwise treatment, excessive indulgence, etc..”
Even with that definition, a lot is left to interpretation. After all, what one parent may consider ‘excessive indulgence’ could be something quite different to another.
What Experts Say…
Unfortunately (or depending on your view – fortunately), there is a difference of opinion from one authoritative source to another. No matter how you feel about this topic, you can find experts that agree with you.
Consistency Matters
Just as you can find households with strict rules that must be followed by all, you can also find homes that seem to ‘go with the flow’ of things. Permissive parents can be found in every walk of life. And just because the parents are permissive does not necessarily mean their kids rule the household.
Most parents (and experts) agree that being consistent is essential. This includes everything from how you relate to your kids on a daily basis in regards to rules to how you discipline your kids. That consistency lets your kids know what is expected this week and next month.
Life Skills
Regardless of your views about discipline and specific rules, it is important to teach kids life skills as they grow up – skills that are essential for living a healthy and productive life. For instance, this includes routines related to personal hygiene, making a simple meal, caring for clothes and other personal belongings, basic concepts about spending and saving money, how to keep a home tidy, and the concept of charity.
Point Systems and Allowances
One tactic to teach responsibility is assigning chores. In many cases the actual tasks are simple and may be more symbolic than anything else. But kids receive points or an allowance based on the chores they complete.
Some parents take things a step further – they insist that the allowance earned is used wisely. That is, they may say a certain percentage must be saved, a percentage is given to charity, and the rest can be spent.
It does seem that all parents and experts agree on the fact that kids can never be loved too much. And with that, kids need to be shown and told that they are loved.
Please share your views with us. We would love to know how you feel about this issue.
