by Priscilla Benfield

Created on: December 30, 2011

We may live in a material world but just because we are bombarded with commercialism doesn't mean that parents have to raise their children to value goods more than what is really important in life. To think that parents have no choice but to go along with what manufacturers want us to believe we "need" in order to live a happy and fulfilling life is like saying that we are just puppets.

Teaching a child values in a world that seems out of control with a love of "stuff" is difficult. Young children (and teens) are extremely impressionable and often want because they are hypnotized by television commercials that make them believe something is what they must have.

A child can hardly watch a 30 minute cartoon without coming away from it wanting the toys that their favorite character is based upon. For teenagers it is a matter of trying to fit in with their peers. It often feels like the end of the world to a teen when they do not have the latest technological breakthrough item. Some even resort to stealing in order to get what they feel they must have.

Parents do have a difficult job when there is so much competition telling their children what matters in life. Ultimately it does come down to the parents to set an example for their children and teach them what really matters. It is a personal decision in every household how to manage deciding how far to go to satisfy their child's wants and needs.

Some adults are shopaholics themselves and live their lives as slaves to their possessions. Their children's ideals will be much like their own and none of them will ever be satisfied no matter how much stuff they accumulate. Most of us have more than we need as shows like Hoarders reveals.

The area of technology is the toughest. It is always changing and sometimes the consumer has to upgrade only to be able to keep up with what is necessary. The wise parent keeps control over their child's demands for the best, latest and newest but some of us succumb to our children's demands.

It is very tough to be a parent today and teach our children the importance of not becoming a slave to possessions especially when many of them are necessities. For a younger child it is easier to not run out and buy every new toy that they see on televison. It is as simple as just saying no. For too many parents, guilt over not spending enough time with their child makes them overindulge them with stuff.

Children who are overindulged often have little respect for what they have and cannot possibly appreciate the wealth of toys, games and other entertainment items. This is hardly the fault of advertising; it is the parents who went out and bought the stuff.

A parent can combat some of the advertising push by limiting the amount of time their child spends in front of the television or on the Internet. They can make buying "things" a special treat and teach them that it is something that they need to earn. Having a child do chores to earn an allowance to purchase wanted things might actually make them appreciate the purchase more and also teach them the value of a dollar.

The advertising industry challenges a parent to step up and be mindful of what they are teaching their children. Yes, it makes it harder to parent but who said parenting was an easy job?

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