Stop fretting if your anxious child seems to get more and more anxious about the gifts he or she wants to get (or may not get) for the holidays. It’s not just anxious children who fall into a frenzy of the “gimmies” for the season. In fact, it’s not a trait solely reserved for children, either.
The gift frenzy, alas, hits everyone. And it’s not wholly our own fault. Christine Carter helps explain the phenomenon in an article at GreaterGood.com:
“…on some level our society has come to believe that our economy depends on a gift giving extravaganza, and that the holidays wouldn’t be fun without all the gifts.”
Carter goes on to note additional reasons she came up with that help explain why we all turn into greed machines once December hits. And she also comes up with a solution on how to quell your kids’ seemingly insatiable desires.
“We can teach them to recognize what makes them want, want, want. We can teach them to realize when they are being manipulated by advertisers.…
Finally, by creating meaningful traditions, we can teach our kids what truly will bring them lasting happiness during the holidays—like starting a gratitude tradition or helping others. Those are the things that they really will remember.”
More meaning and fewer gifts for the holidays could make a very fine balance – and remind everyone what the season is at least supposed to be about.
Read Carter’s full article: http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/raising_happiness/post/wired_to_want
