The other day at the supermarket I saw a sight that has become quite common nowadays. A mother was struggling with her overloaded trolley while her small son was prostrate on the ground, wailing out loudly for a toy car that was on display. The scene went on for about 5-7 minutes with the bawling growing louder and the mother’s admonishing getting weaker by the minute. What do you think happened next? The mother grabbed the toy and put it on her stuff in the trolley and took the child’s hand and walked to the billing counter. Peace reigned but at what cost?!
Often parents give in to childhood tantrums and do not realize the deeper pit that they are helping to dig. After all where does it all end? Children know from a very early age what works and doesn’t work with their parents. They know the control knobs and use them to their advantage. All parents love their children but buying each and everything that they ask for is not wise. This is a mark of giving in and not a display of love.
As parents we know that we all have grown up with a few hitches and this has helped to bring out the best in us. Making things easy for your child is not going to make things easy in later life. What begins with a toy car may end with a real one at a premature age which he or she rams into another leading to a fatal accident. And all because the mother does not know when to say ‘No’.
The other day at the supermarket I saw a sight that has become quite common nowadays. A mother was struggling with her overloaded trolley while her small son was prostrate on the ground, wailing out loudly for a toy car that was on display. The scene went on for about 5-7 minutes with the bawling growing louder and the mother’s admonishing getting weaker by the minute. What do you think happened next? The mother grabbed the toy and put it on her stuff in the trolley and took the child’s hand and walked to the billing counter. Peace reigned but at what cost?!
Often parents give in to childhood tantrums and do not realize the deeper pit that they are helping to dig. After all where does it all end? Children know from a very early age what works and doesn’t work with their parents. They know the control knobs and use them to their advantage. All parents love their children but buying each and everything that they ask for is not wise. This is a mark of giving in and not a display of love.
As parents we know that we all have grown up with a few hitches and this has helped to bring out the best in us. Making things easy for your child is not going to make things easy in later life. What begins with a toy car may end with a real one at a premature age which he or she rams into another leading to a fatal accident. And all because the mother does not know when to say ‘No’.
