I noticed something interesting 5 minutes into Christmas morning. My 2 year old had ripped open a couple Chuggington train cars and was in bliss. He was hooking them up, driving them around the carpet and oblivious to the flurry of wrapping paper flying around him.
He was happy. He was thrilled. If Christmas had ended after those small gifts, he would have been satisfied.
Our 4 year old, however, wanted more. And more. And more. The more he opened, the more he wanted. He'd barely look at what was inside the box before turning to find more wrapping paper to shred.
Did your kids act spoiled on Christmas Day? Chances are they did, and we're to blame.
According to a new survey by Parenting magazine, 76% of parents say their kids act spoiled and are less grateful than they should be during the holidays.
59% of parents say that their kids are more spoiled than they were as kids. Only 11% say they're less spoiled.
The average parent spent $271 per child on gifts this year, and 30% spent over $300.
But this is the telling stat: 76% of parents say they feel GUILTY about saying "no" to something on their child's wish list, and 18% try to give their kids EVERYTHING they ask for.
The harder you try to make them happy, the more they want, just scan Twitter for some complaining keywords just after Christmas morning and you'll see the level of entitlement we're enabling.
Once again my wife and I have made a pact that next year we'll dial it down. Bring some sanity and meaning back to the morning.
What about you, did you spoil your kids this week? Maybe the parents of the kids who are complaining should read this.
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