• Your number one job as a parent is to get your child ready to see how the world really works. In the real world, you don’t always get what you want. You’ll be better prepared for that as an adult if you experience it as a child.

  • If your relationship with your child is based on material goods, your child won’t have the chance to experience unconditional love.

 

  • What does taking care of your child really mean? Are you providing for them emotionally and spiritually? You don’t have to buy them material goods; instead of gifts spend some time with them. Be careful to teaching your child that their emotions can be healed by a trip to the mall.

 

  • Make sure your child isn’t defining their happiness and their status in the world based on what brand they’re wearing or what vehicle they’re driving. Have a chat with them about what defines a person’s self-worth – intelligence, creativity, work ethic, etc.

 

  • Teach your child the value of hard work. If you put forth a C effort, you’re going to have a C standard of living.

 

  • Your child doesn’t need to be happy with you every minute of the day. They’ll get over the disappointment of being told no.

Help your child set goals. Teach them that striving to own nice things is fine if they understand how much work it takes to afford them, and not to base their self-worth on what they buy.