Buy-Buy kids

[mastura_maulud]

I agree - children these days tend to be very materialistic. Daddy I want this, Mummy I want that.

But wait a minute. Let's not put all the blame on TV. Are we as parents indirectly encouraging it? Many times when we feel guilty for not spending enough time with the children, we think that showering them with toys and other presents will make up for it. Sometimes it's not even guilt; we just buy them lots of toys thinking they will be SO happy to have it.

My experience with my 3 year old son is that presents and toys keep their 'wow' factor for all of 3 seconds. Sometimes he is so well behaved and is such an angel that my husband and I are ready to give in to any of his demands and just feel like buying him all the toys in the world. The truth is, he is best behaved when he gets a lot of our attention.

You know the saying "How do children spell LOVE? T-I-M-E" is so true. The more time we spend with him, the better behaved he is. Presents and toys may keep him occupied but they don't make him want to behave well.

Our undivided attention does.

Best wishes
Intan Mastura Maulud

[TantriNura56]

Before the advent of television, children used to be bright-eyed and generally interested in playing outdoor. They had more 'real people' than gadgets in their lives and their favourite words weren't "FREE' ot "Buy". Parents used television as an electronic babysitter and bribe them using TV toys or Potato chips seens in advertisements to get children to behave, eat or cooperate. Children not only spent hours watching television a day, they also tell their parents where to bank, which toothpaste or soaps to use and most of them want to own products shown on TV. As a result, children seem to be in a perennial state of want. In fact, it now cost more to amuse a child than it once to educate his father!