ARE WE GIVING TOO MANY OF THE WRONG THINGS?
We all want to give our kids a good life, but we know that material things aren’t as important as we think.
One of the coolest things about kids is that they can entertain themselves for hours with some random object, like a cardboard box, a container, or a set of measuring spoons. It makes you wonder why we buy them so many toys that they won’t even have time to play with them all before they grow out of them.
If we stop and think about why we feel the need to constantly give our kids new toys, clothes, and junk food, we’ll often realize that we’re trying to avoid our difficult feelings and pain. If you catch yourself wanting to spoil your child with material possessions, take a moment to see if you can figure out where your motivation is coming from.
Sometimes we give our kids too much stuff because we want them to have a sense of abundance that we didn’t have as kids, or because we want them to like us. Both of these motives are often unconscious and stem from unresolved issues from our childhood or adult life.
These unresolved feelings naturally come up when we find ourselves in the role of a parent, often as our child reaches the age we were when these traumas were most pronounced. Spoiling your children will not save you or make your pain disappear, only acknowledging and working on your emotional issues can do that.
The most important thing we can do for our children is to make them feel safe and loved. We should also give them the freedom to explore and learn. If we can do these things well, our children won’t need a lot of material possessions to be happy.
We all want our kids to have a great and happy life, but we know that material things are not as important as we think. We make a mistake when we try to buy our kids happiness. When we do this, they think that happiness comes from toys and treats instead of the joy of being alive, being loved, and exploring the world.
Peace ♥ Harmony ~ Cheryl
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