Friday, September 24, 2010

Kids Toys - Gifts in Moderation

When it comes to kids toys, there is one universal truth: the older they get, the more expensive their tastes become. Sure, a small tot may be perfectly content to roll anything that makes noise across the living room floor, but it doesn't take long before his or her attention is captured by the endless parade of television commercials targeting young children. There is no end to the amount of advertising designed to get children to beg their parents for every toy under the sun. For a family on a budget, what are parents to do?

Educate them

One of the most important things to do with your children is to regularly - and from an early age - instruct them in both the value of money, and the difference between needs and wants. Remind them that they are given everything that they need, and are happy and safe as a result. Also point out that they have been given many of the things that they want - but not every single thing that they want. Use pointed examples to remind them that there are things that their parents would like to have as well, but that not every purchase is possible. When it comes to wants and desires, we all have to make choices.

Set an example

One reason why so many children expect to be given every type of kid's toys that they see is that they never see restraint exercised by their parents. After all, if they never observe mommy and daddy making hard choices between various objects they want, how are they ever to learn the lesson that we talked about earlier. When you have to make these types of choices yourself, be sure to talk with your children about it. Though it might seem as though you are being preachy on the subject, you are in fact just using an opportunity to teach one of the most difficult lessons in life.

Save it for special occasions

Believe it or not, the parent who buys kids toys for a child without an occasion - and who does that frequently throughout the year - is creating a child who will always expect more than you give. In the old days, we used to call this "spoiling". You should set a strict schedule for toy distribution - usually centered on holidays and birthdays - and stick to that schedule no matter how much your kids beg. This will help them to learn to anticipate those times when they receive gifts, and t appreciate them all the more for the rareness of the occasion

It's not mean

Most of us have at one point or another told ourselves that we would never deny our children those things we had been denied when we were younger. Yet in our attempt to provide more than our parents provided for us, we are actually creating a generation of spoiled kids for who no amount of presents and kids toys are ever enough. By refocusing our efforts away from the presents we provide and toward the lessons we teach, we can better raise healthy, well-adjusted, and responsible adults.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Patullo

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