Parents want their children to be grateful for everything they have rather than constantly asking for more. In today’s materialist culture, how can we accomplish this?
Dr. Jennifer Freed, a family and child behavior expert, shares her thoughts. She says you’re not alone if you’re experiencing an epidemic of “me, me, me.”
Freed said, ” The fast-paced digital culture of self-congratulation and material consumption has conditioned people to report on themselves constantly. Selfies are a metaphor for social media’s self-obsession narratives.”
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There is a lot of responsibility involved. Freed said, “When kids get all they ask for and can dictate how things go, they become unaware of others’ needs and expect the world to accommodate them. This lack of empathy and consideration for others causes intimate relationships to fail.”
Freed explained that entitled people are seldom happy because they are always expected to have more, be more, and bask in endless praise. On the other hand, Gracious people are humble and intrinsically motivated by a sense of purpose and well-being. Therefore, the digital world must answer a lot of things. We should encourage our kids to be grateful and compassionate. A big part of our job as parents is raising them with gratitude and compassion.
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Maybe it’s time to stop caving to our kids. Freed said, “Indulging our children is not nurturing them. It is fostering a future of lonely emotional despotism.” Rather than raising entitled, spoiled brats, Freed suggests we try the following measures to foster gratitude, care, and respect in our children.
- Get away from devices daily by spending time without them
- Keep a daily gratitude journal
- Highlight inspirational individuals
- Make a practical difference in the lives of others
- Don’t let your child take advantage of your efforts
We inherently create relationships based on dominance and submission when we do not consider another person’s needs and wants.