"Parents have trouble saying no," said Allison Pugh, a University of Virginia sociology professor. She says parents often buy toys to avoid guilt and ensure their children feel in sync with school classmates.
"Even under circumstances of dire financial straits, that's the last thing parents give up," said Pugh. "They'll contain their own buying for themselves before they'll make their child feel different at school."
Amanda Almodovar says she encounters such families in her work as an elementary school social worker in Alamance County, N.C., where homelessness and unemployment are rising.
"I had one parent who said she'd prostitute herself to get what her child wants," Almodovar said. "It's heartbreaking. They feel inadequate as parents.
"I try to tell them, worry about your home, your heating bill — but they're the ones who have to look into children's faces, the children saying 'I want this, I want that.'"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081129/ap_on_re_us/toy_worries;_ylt=AizdG4N5.iwelTSlAirI00ZvzwcF
Parents have trouble saying no?
Here's a thought.... try opening your mouth and just say it! NO...N-O...NO.
All of our kids understand times are hard right now....even for Santa!
They also understand what Christmas is about.
They understand it's not about getting as many or more presents as your classmates!
They understand it's about family, friends, caring, sharing, memories and Christ.
Christmas is about Christ...Christmas is not about "I want this, I want that!"
Now would be a good time for some of these parents to teach this to their kids.
Wouldn't you think a kid that went to school and heard his friends say "We can't play with you cause your momma is a prostitute" would make a child feel more different than "We can't play with you cause you didn't get no toys for Christmas"?
3 comments:
I've actually written a fair amount of child-focused parenting on the part of Generation X. Gen X parents compensate for their own childhoods, which lacked the attention, by and large, they felt they needed, and in many cases did - and didn't get. You've reminded me I need to write more about this b/c it's the holidays.
I believe this whole post (particularly the authors' comments) lacks compassion.
It's not about saying NO, it's about parents facing the prospect of giving the kids NOTHING. It may not be a reality in your Barbie world, but it happens.
I know, I've been there. The difference is that I had faith in that God would provide and He did but let me tell you, it was a very LEAN Christmas. My kids are great and they never complained but it broke my heart when I overhead another kid run down a long list of very expensive items (cell phone, ipod, XBox 360) that Santa had brought them. Disappointment was written all over my child's dear face. Why did Santa love this other kid more than her?
The problem is not the kids (or most of their parents) it is the insensitive comments such as yours that make the lean holidays more difficult.
Ummm you got all that from this post? Your reading it wrong. The problem is the parents for going in debt every christmas buying junk for their kids! It's Christmas - Christ..not Christmas - Santa. If parents would stop buying the cell phones, ipods, xbox, then there would be no "Why did Santa love this other kid more than me". I'm sorry, but I'd rather give my kids nothing than go prostitute myself to give my kids something they won't even remember getting by next christmas!
And there is no reality in Barbie world...cause it's not real.
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