Teach my 6 year old how to appreciate?
So my daughter is 6 1/2. And she doesn't appreciate anything me, my husband, grandparents, or anyone else does for her. Sometimes when money is tight and I need to grab some groceries from the store i will say Jay, mommy and daddy don't have a lot of money right now so i cant buy you any toys ok? She will say ok. So when we get into the store she will ask for a toy. And, very nicely, I will tell her i cant. Well that's it. Shes throwing a complete temper tantrum in the store and talking so mean to me all because i cant afford to buy her a freakin toy. We will go out to eat, say to Apple Bee's. I will ask her if shes hungry and she will say yes. Shell order her food and when it comes take two bite and be done. Which never really bothered me because shes a grazer anyway. But i will get it to go and later that day or next day for lunch she will say I'm not eating that...And get such an attitude. She doesn't appreciate anything. Toys, clothes, food, nothing. And shes getting worse. She has a nice little movie collection going. well the other day i went in to clean her room and there were DVD's laying all over the place. in the closet under clothes, under her bed. where she just throws them because shes too lazy to put them back in the dvd case that holds all her DVD's. So i took them all away for a week and that seems to be helping. So, I'm thinking about tonight, after she falls asleep. Loading up all of her toys, movies, everything and taking them to my mothers house, whom we don't visit often. Ive got to do something to teach this girl how to appreciate things before she gets older. Ive had many talks explaining that daddy has to work hard to get the money we use to buy things.( I am a stay at home mom for the time being) And that sometimes we don't have the money..over and over Ive had that talk. Ive talked with her about kids whose parents are poor and cant even afford toys for Christmas. Ive tried everything else. Spanking, time outs, grounding. And nothing seems to work. So my question is, Were your kids this way and how did you fix it? Do you think taking all of her toys away will show her whats it like to have nothing? Any advice will help. Thank you!
Are children just ungrateful by nature at Christmas?
Yea, kids are ungreatful. Think of it this way... they are trained to receive gifts on one day, well, for doing nothing. I don't think it was made very clear to him that Christmas came early this year. You have all right to feel a little hurt. I understand why you are upset (he felt dissapointed while you worked so hard to get him the perfect gift). My advice: He is old enough to understand the value of money, i assume he is not a "believer" of Santa anymore and he needs to understand where the gift came from. He can learn a good, valuable lesson from this, i can assure you. His father should really be present when you tell him so he doesnt think it's a lecture. Remember, he's only 10, kids have the most innocent intentions. Also.. Back to what i said, kids know that Christmas is the day they are going to get what they want, not a few days before. He should be old enough to know that his father can't be there with him on Christmas and thats why you had to celebrate it early. He is just going by what the capitalistic world has implanted into his brain, please don't hold this against him.
Ungrateful Christmas!?
I would put a package of thank you cards in his stocking next year. Before he opens the next gift he has to write a thank you card for the person who gave him a gift. I would make him volunteer at a soup kitchen to watch the children that don't have anything. If he is ungrateful for a toy then tell him that you know children that would be very happy to receive what he has gotten. Make him donate some of his toys after Christmas. You shouldn't cut out Christmas for this child but show him the season is about giving and not receiving. Be an example yourself by volunteering. I would talk to him about it's not about how much you receive or what you receive it's the fact that someone has thought about him enough to buy him a gift. He should be grateful because this person went out and spent their hard earned dollars on him when they could have used it for themselves. I would practice with him how to receive a gift. next year wrap up 24 books about Christmas. Each night get him to pick a book to read and unwrap. However when he is unwrapping it practice with him how he is to receive a gift. Tell him to say thank the person and say something nice about the gift even if he doesn't like it. Explain to him that if he doesn't like something he should still be polite and find something nice about it.
How do you deal with the pain inflicted by ungrateful adult children? P.S. Haven't seen her in over a year
Oh how I know how you feel. I have a very ungrateful adult child that causes me alot of grief. She is spiteful, vindictive, and down right mean. And on top of that, I am raising my grand daughter ( her daughter) because she did not want to stop running around and be a mother. She only comes around when she needs or wants something. Ive been dealing with it for years and it never stops. The pain does not go away but yes it lessens as time goes by. The only thing you can do is to put your time and energy into the rest of your family. And being able to talk to someone about it, someone to vent to, someone who will listen without judging. And pray, and pray, and pray
I'm an Ungrateful Brat! What do I do?
OK I am such an ungrateful brat! I realized today when I was sitting in a park and saw a new iPhone 3G someone had and really wanted it, meanwhile I just got a new Sidekick LX 2 days ago. Whenever I get something I always want the newer best thing. Whenever I get somehting and don't want it anymore I either just destroy it so I get the next best thing or just return what I have and buy it and then in a few days get sick of it and throw it away. I feel really bad about it too! Like I just got my room redone and I already want to change it again. I have had like 110 cell phones since like 4 years ago and none of them have been right, I have found a problem with all of them just so I could get a new one. My parents bought me a laptop 2 months ago and I already want a newer better one. I feel so unappreciative of what I have especially because of all the stuff I wasted and that there are poor children in the world with nothing. I buy clothes that I love and then a few weeks later end up throwing them away or purposly destroying so I can get new ones. Like my parents do have a lot of money and dont mind buying me things but I am begining to realize that I am so wasteful and dont really like what I have. Envy and greed constantly possess me and its not OK. When I see something I like like a house or car or cell phone or shirt of ring I always envy the person with it and lie to my friends saying I have it. This is a real problem for me. I've turned into a spoiled brat and have wasted so much money. What can I do to be greatful for what I have and appreciate all the nice things I get without having the desire to have something better. I am a teenager and I understand it is somewhat normal but I feel I have turned into a monster and don't like anything I have, and I have a lot of nice things. What can I do to control my envy and greed? How can I become greatful for what I have? Thanks! Real helpful answers only, I already know I'm a monster/brat. Thanks for the help!