Readers, will you help provide some answers?
How do we fix our kids’ Gimmies?
As in, the constant desire to Give-Me This, and Give-Me That.
I’m driving my son Zack, 6 years old, to the doctor, since he’s not recovering well from a virus.
Zack: “Will the doctor give me a sucker?”
Mom: “No, the doctor will not give you a sucker. If you are good she will let you pick out a sticker.”
(Where did my kids get this archaic idea of a doctor giving a sucker? Our doctor has never given our kids a sucker in their lives.)
Zack: “Aw, man! A sticker! I don’t want a sticker!”
Mom: “Okay, no sticker. How about just being appreciative the doctor is helping you get well?”
Zack: “Okay, fine. I’ll take the sticker.”
I realize my son will walk into the doctor’s office waiting room with a TV showing a movie to his liking, toys at the ready, and our bag holds snacks to munch and an ipad for him to play on while we wait.
Only a couple generations ago, medical care was not an assumed benefit. Maybe it was provided, or maybe it was too expensive and done without. I know the same is still true for some families in our country, and especially true for a huge number of people throughout the world. Forget the stickers and suckers.
Yet, by the grace of God, I have the ability to meet my children’s needs, and many of their wants, so I do. We teach our children that all we have is a gift from God, and we remind them of other people who don’t have as much, but it’s not tangible to them.
Sara, this is such a tough one. I believe it starts by teaching them to be thankful for what they have and by following through with what you say will happen. Thanks for linking up at Bloggers Brags. I have pinned your post to the Bloggers Brags Board.
This can be a hard one, but teaching them to be thankful for what they do have can be a start.