"Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; in that very day his plans perish. Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God, who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; who keeps truth forever, who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The LORD gives freedom to the prisoners."
- Psalm 146:3-7
Monday, December 1, 2008
On the radio this morning Brant Hansen was talking about some national parents' group that is trying to organize a protest against toy companies to get them to stop advertising until after the holidays. The parents are saying that all the commercials are making their kids want stuff they can't afford, and the parents don't want to have to explain to their kids that they don't have the money.
Brant's response, and I think it was a good one, was basically that "It's a good thing to explain to your kids that you can't afford everything."
He was kind of exasperated that parents would resort to protesting businesses advertising simply because they're too ________ (lazy? scared? weak? embarrassed?) to tell their kids money doesn't grow on trees. "Are you trying to get elected?" he said.
Seriously.
I know it's never fun to tell your kids they can't have something they want. Because we love our kids and want them to be happy. But because we love our kids and want them to be happy we should explain to them where money comes from, that it is finite, and that, above all, getting everything you want isn't the source of happiness anyway. Having this conversation these parents want to avoid is a prime catalyst for training our kids to think more selflessly and less consumeristically and to exercise moderation and self-control.
I ain't praying for no depression or anything (;-), but I do think hard(er) economic times can be fertile ground for cultivating less consumerism in the Church.
Trackbacks:
Trackback URL: http://thinklings.org/bloo.trackback.php/5075.
Comments on "Just Say No":
2. Jenna
- 12/01/2008 12:01 pm CST
Since I myself struggle with wanting stuff I can't afford, I have tried to change my perspective when looking at those things and when looking at commercials of really cool toys with my kids. When we feel ourselves leaning toward the coveting thing, we talk about the object like it is out there, has nothing to do with me, like a piece of art or something. Admiring it without having to own it. I think that's a really valuable thing to be able to do as you grow up.
3. Wickle
- 12/01/2008 2:31 pm CST
I can understand why parents might want companies to lay off the advertising, but let's get real ... why would they?
If you signed up for the job of parent, then part of your job is to deal with disappointment and unmet wants.
In my family, we have to think carefully before we consider getting a pizza. That's just the way it is. The kids learn from these experiences, and hopefully their generation will learn that you can't get a house and two brand-new cars while working part-time at Burger King. Our generation is only now getting that hint.
Leave a Comment:
My parents often told us that we couldn't get everything we wanted and that they couldn't afford everything we wanted. Mom made sure we had a clear understanding of needs vs. wants as kids. It's something I use today when I'm shopping - do I really need this item? Often the answer is no and I don't buy it. And later I don't miss it.
I can't think of a single thing I ever asked my parents for that I didn't get, although I'm sure there were plenty over the years. Just shows how little important those things really are.