by Beth Jackson

Created on: June 01, 2010

You can defiantly buy your kids affection with expensive gifts. Unfortunately you won’t be buying their respect. Certain parents have the insane idea that they have to be their children’s “friend”. They think that by giving their kids whatever they want, they will be buying their love. There’s a big difference between affection and love. Can a child love its parent without receiving materialistic gifts? Yes, of course.

I believe it goes a step further than just affection. I think parent’s buy their kid’s things because they feel guilty. In this society most parents choose to work. I could say that they have to work, but I don’t believe this to be true. We put so much emphasis on careers that we sometimes leave our children behind. Careers can be stressful and time consuming. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough time to spend with them. We should be their nurturers, their guides. Instead we leave it to others to do this. I believe that we want to be there for them, but can’t. In order to make both the child and parent happy we buy them present. Basically buying their affection.

If you think about it, working parents may get to spend a few hours a day with their children. We basically trust others to raise them. Sure there are weekends, but is that enough? For some it may be, but I am not so sure. I believe children would be just as happy without all the material things, if they could spend more time with their parents. It’s heartbreaking for parents who realize what their missing. I think that we substitute gifts for attention.

I also don’t feel that these children understand the value of a dollar. They don’t understand that toys cost money. Material things such as toys should be only given on special occasions. That way they will appreciate the things that they have. It shouldn’t matter that you can afford it. We should not have our children expecting gifts all the time. It creates selfish, unappreciative children. We need our children to love us for being a good parent. Not just a generous one.

If we took more time with our children we would really see what makes them truly happy. It’s all about quality time. We need to be their nurturers. Their caregivers. I believe if you gave a child a choice, that they would choose their parents attention over gifts any day of the week.

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