| -- End Ad Box ---> | | | | OK, why should anyone deprive themselves of |
| If you've ever called your own child spoiled rotten, | | | | anything? Seems like a reasonable question. Well, |
| you should be ashamed of yourself. Call someone | | | | for starters, if, in the extreme case, you got |
| else's kid that, no problem, but not your own. | | | | everything you asked for, you would never get |
| Why? Because all we can see of someone else's | | | | to the point of truly wanting for something. |
| child is a result, and it may be disturbing. Whereas | | | | However, without wanting something you can't |
| in your own case, the child is the 'spoilee' and you | | | | have, at least right away, you don't set goals. And |
| are the 'spoiler'. OK, perhaps your spouse, but you | | | | without goals you don't get anywhere. You are |
| both have some responsibility in it. | | | | simply a full, soggy, sponge. |
| Your child is like a dry sponge, with thousands of | | | | In addition, the spoiled rotten trait delivers a |
| little cavities waiting to be filled up. And around the | | | | one-two punch. The spoiled individual may have |
| child is a world bursting with candy, toys, | | | | little concept of the value of something. And |
| activities, snacks, TV and computer games all | | | | worse still, the idea of having to save up for it |
| eager to pounce. And who is in the middle? You, | | | | and buy it on their own can seem ridiculous. Then |
| the gatekeeper. The key master. The valve. | | | | there is the issue of generosity. How often is a |
| Now, if you think about it, a sponge works so so | | | | spoiled individual truly generous? These and more |
| when it is bone dry. It actually works a little | | | | negative characteristics can be attributed to |
| better when slightly damp, but if the valve is | | | | someone who is spoiled rotten. |
| broken, the sponge will fill to capacity quickly and | | | | So my point is that as the guardian of all that is |
| become useless. | | | | innocent and pure, being your child, you have the |
| Granted, you can point a finger at your mate. He | | | | responsibility to think about such things and teach |
| or she is the one who gives Bobby everything he | | | | yourself how to control that which, if left |
| wants. You've even argued about it from time to | | | | unchecked, might put your child's life out of |
| time, and the same thing is said every time. | | | | balance. If discussions with your spouse are called |
| "Come on, it's just until 11:00", or "think of how | | | | for and may cause some short term distress, |
| happy it will make him", or "I never got one of | | | | better that than passing a bad apple down to |
| these when I was a kid", or "OK, but just this | | | | your children to make them spoiled rotten. |
| once". Sound familiar? | | | | I heard a remarkable phrase recently that I'd like |
| Almost everyone is guilty of this lack of will | | | | to relate here. It had to do with ecology, global |
| power to some degree. Unfortunately, if a parent | | | | warming etc. "We did not inherit the earth from |
| lacks will power, the child will lack even more. This | | | | our parents, we are borrowing it from our |
| will develop to the point that the child will have no | | | | children". And, in a way, I see this fitting in that |
| reason to deny him or herself anything. The | | | | we are the keepers of (their) childhood so that |
| notion was never passed down from the previous | | | | we can give it back healthy and strong. |
| generation. Exercise a little restraint, can't ya? | | | | |