As responsible parents we all want our kids to understand that the best things in life are always free, and gathering stuff has nothing to do with inner happiness. If you are worried that you are raising a spoiled teenager read these 6 parenting tips which will help you raise non materialistic kids.
However, in today’s world, it has become really difficult for parents to pass on this non materialistic concept to their little ones. This is mainly because our society is based on consumerism and it is hard to get away from the glamour of hoarding the latest things.
Just as adults, kids also are not immune to such desires. In addition, nowadays things like sophisticated video games, trendy clothes, toys, etc are marketed to children via TV/Internet Ads more than ever before. This leads to a mentality of spending and owning for satisfaction.
Moreover, busy parents submitting to every desire of their children adding fuel to this fire which assures that they are raised to be materialistic adults who give more importance to money than people and experiences.
So, what can we do to make sure this doesn’t happen?
Luckily, there are plenty of things we can do to avoid this. Take a look at these simple yet extremely effective steps to do so.
6 ways to raise non materialistic kids
1. Experiences over items
Experiences make a lasting impression compared to a product or an item that will get old and boring after a few months.
Your kids will not remember stuff when they grow up, instead, they will cherish the moments spent with you on a family holiday or a road trip for your entire life.
But, understand that experiences don’t need to be expensive. It can be as simple as having a special day out for their favourite activity, coupons for one-on-one time with you, a day at beach building sandcastles and watching it getting knocked by waves, blowing bubbles in the backyard, etc. I enjoy having a home spa day with my teenagers or watching Dylan play football.
You can choose any activity based on your preference but remember they all should have one thing in common; you must do them together as a family.
Teach them to make memories, not a collection!
2. Talk about money
Children usually learn spending habits from their parents so don’t be extravagant in front of them.
Sit with them and teach them the basics of how to spend and save money and if they are old enough to grasp the concept of financial situation, talk about that too.
There are some tricks which you can implement to teach this, for instance,
· You can start a savings account for them and allocate a limited amount to it every month. So naturally, with restricted income, they will be forced to make choices between important and unimportant stuff. Plus, they’ll understand it takes time and effort to buy something as money doesn’t roll in instantly.
· If your kid desperately wants something and can’t wait to buy it, another way is to sit with them and craft an earning strategy together. Construct a simple plan with them which imparts basic knowledge of work and earning. Here I have a post about teenagers and part time work options.
I have written about suitable chores for children in this post
3. Rethink rewards and punishment
We all have used this technique at some point, rewarding kids with toys, gadgets, clothes, etc. for good behavior and grades, while punishing them by taking away their electronics for disobedience is quite common.
But, do you know that this practice leads to materialism?
This is because it will become a habit and they will continue to reward themselves with things later on in life.
Moreover, this technique will do little or nothing significant to change a child’s behavior from the core. On the other hand, by limiting the association of behavior with materialistic rewards and punishment, your kid will give less importance to things.
Always remember your job is to impart values to your little ones and not to train them.
4. Limit and teach them to value the stuff you give
Imagine having five perfect toys which are the latest in technology, interactive and playful. Your kid will love to play with them as long as they work.
Now think, if you add another ten toys to that collection, the previous one will lose their charm, right?
If you’ll bring new toys and other things every now and then, after a while they will become just a bunch of meaningless items that your kids won’t be attached to. And what will happen when you stop continuous buying? Naturally, they’ll get upset and disheartened.
So, limit the stuff you buy for them and teach them the importance of things.
A good way is to ask them what they want, why they want it, and how they intend to use it. Doing so will ignite the feeling of importance for that thing in their mind.
5. Encourage a feeling of gratitude and sharing
Fostering gratitude will decrease materialism and increase generosity in your kid’s behavior. Fortunately, there are many ways you can teach them to be grateful.
For instance, if your child likes to write then encourage him/her to maintain a gratitude journal or you can gather around the dinner table as a family and express your daily gratitude.
Also, teach them the importance of giving and sharing. Make them understand what difference they can make in someone else’s life by a little act of random kindness, encourage them to donate, volunteer, or share their things with other kids.
Let them learn that they are fortunate to have everything they need. This will ensure that they are not raised with an expectation of entitlement.
6. Limit Advertisement
Research indicates that children under the age of eight are not able to deconstruct the message in advertising and tend to accept it as an accurate and unbiased statement.
So, watching ads repeatedly makes them believe that they need those items to have actual fun and make new friends.
But, it is not possible to buffer them from every ad. Therefore, talk with them and let them know that ads are trying to sell items to gain profits and what they show in it has nothing to do with real-life experiences.
Final Thoughts
Raising non-materialistic kids doesn’t mean that you need to completely buffer them from new items. But, it essentially means, they understand the fundamental difference that there is a world beyond material things and it is where the actual happiness lies.
Emphasis on gathering experiences instead of gifts, teach gratitude, make them wise financially, limit ads and stuff you give them, all these small steps taken today by you will ensure that your kid grows up to be a truly satisfied adult.
Lastly, I would love to know what other things you inculcate in your parenting technique to raise non-materialistic kids. Let’s have a chat in the comments!
