Running head: DISCUSSION BOARD THREAD NUMBER 2 1
DISCUSSION BOARD THREAD NUMBER 2 2
Don’t Saturate with Materialism
Sara Daniels
DBMF 605-B01
Dr. John Brunstetter
February 1, 2020
Saturating with Materialism
I believe that the most difficult of the five underpinnings of common sense child rearing for parents in the 21st century is not to saturate their children with materialistic goods. Personally, I struggle with this with my own son. He has more toys than you could imagine as well as his own iPad, and he is only 4-years-old. I know that it is too much, but it still continues. Dobson (2014) discusses how times have changed over the years to where it used to be that when a child wanted something, the parents could honestly say that they could not afford it. However, nowadays parents are readily able to purchase the newest or hottest toys or technology with cash or a credit card (Dobson, 2014). I believe that because it is easily possible, it makes it more likely.
The Problems with Too Much Materialism
Dobson (2014) states several problems that come along for kids that are saturated with materialism including (1) sense of entitlement, (2) inhibited sense of appreciation, and (3) cheating your child of the pleasure of receiving gifts. I have personally experienced each of these with my son. He believes it is a normal occurrence to get a new toy when we go to the store so he actually places little value in the toys he does have and feels he is owed new toys on a regular basis.
Reward System
The first strategy to help parents overcome this underpinning is to employ a rewards system. My husband and I are currently implementing this with our son where he will begin to earn new things and hopefully appreciate them more. Reward systems will differ for the age and ability of a child. For example, for my 4-year-old son, he will begin to earn stickers for things such as putting his toys away, eating all of his food, behaving well in preschool, etc. Once he earns a certain number of stickers, he can pick out a reasonable prize.
Just Say No
One of the very best strategies parents can employ is to learn how to say now. I personally struggle with this, so I have some work to do in this area as well. Dobson (2014) states that “parents, in our great love for our children, can do irreparable harm by yielding to their pleas for more and more things” (p. 48). Never hearing no is not how the real world works so it is best to teach a child early on that they can’t always have what they want when they want.
Biblical Integration
Luke 12:15 says, “And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (ESV). Scripture is clear that we, as Christians, should not focus on materialistic possessions but rather seeking God first (Matthew 6:33). I do not believe that having materialistic items is ungodly or wrong; however, if it takes the focus off of God for adults or children, then it does become a problem.
Reference
Dobson, J. (2014). The new dare to discipline. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House.
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American Psychological Association. Publication manual of the American Psychological
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Forsyth, D. R. (2019). Group dynamics (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage. ISBN:
97811337408851
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References
American Psychological Association. Publication manual of the American Psychological
Association (Current ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Forsyth, D. R. (2019). Group dynamics (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage. ISBN:
97811337408851