My lovely Mum got cross many years ago with my young kids as they unwrapped ANOTHER lovely present without making a fuss of gratitude, as they had become blasé about all the gifts they had been blessed to receive.
Yet it seems we are still keen to give in and indulge our children’s wants – the Toy Retailers Association reports that the British alone spend £3bn each year on toys!
As it’s nearly that time of the year when retailers are starting to gear up to sell the latest generation of Christmas toys, some campaigners are advocating a change in attitude.
Do you agree with them? …….
Do most western children have too many toys?
Why do we have so many toys?
How do you handle the balance between giving gifts, spoiling or indulging your kids ?
Psychologist Oliver James, author of the parenting book Love Bombing, believes children don’t “need” a vast panoply of toys. He says that
“Most children need a transition object,” said James, “their first teddy bear that they take everywhere. But everything else is a socially generated want.”