Recently a news jumped in the United States that has gone around the world because of how peculiar it has been: Ethan Couch, a young man who belongs to a millionaire family, got rid of jail after killing 4 people for drunk driving thanks to a psychiatrist who diagnosed him affluenza or 'rich boy syndrome'; After what happened, he violated probation and fled the country. Although the serious thing is not the flight but the whole story behind it, it has removed a theme that seems to be heard more and more: the disorders caused in a child to have everything in excess.
Another social epidemic in sight
When I have begun to investigate on the subject, the issue of childhood obesity has come to mind: these types of pathologies are presented in mass and are due to currents that are becoming normal, as in the United States the fact of having breakfast , eat and dine burgers.
Apparently We parents are not aware of the consequences that acts like giving our children everything they ask for. However, little by little it has become normal and every day there are more cases of children with disorders related to this behavior, so much so that in the end they may end up becoming an epidemic ... another one of the consumption avalanche that causes our Day after day society.
In Babies and more "Our children have a devastating emotional state": the text that goes viral and is rightHow could we identify early signs of a child that may be affected?
There are signs that can alert us early, from hear the child say frequently that he is bored despite having a room full of toys and devices until you see him stressed or with sudden phobias. According to Ralph Minear, the author of the book 'The boy who has everything in excess' to the Week Magazine, there is a thin line between parents who know how to help their children to develop their full potential and those who press them excessively :
When that limit has been crossed, the child becomes unhappy, restless, irritable or has physical and emotional symptoms. Very often they engage in harmful behaviors, such as alcohol consumption or the use of prohibited drugs
The pressure we exert on them, one of the triggers
Surely all parents are concerned that our children are happy, but also that they receive the best possible education and that they have all the tools so that they can become successful people. But nevertheless not all of us stop to think about the pressure we can be exerting on them so that they reach all the activities to which we have aimed... having an agenda full of things to do every day of the week can be very counterproductive for them.
In Babies and more, what to give to children for Christmas? Follow the four gift ruleWorrying about taking the child to courses so that he is more advanced than the others in his environment is one of the most frequent actions today. Combine it with other features like excess of freedom, information, responsibilities and demands It can become a cocktail too dangerous for a child.
When the child becomes stressed, he may end up manifesting it in the form of rebellion. Keep in mind that they are small and that managing their emotions is something they will learn little by little, so we must be attentive to the signals they send us through their behavior.
Do you need to be rich to suffer from this syndrome?
Obviously not. Sometimes parents make great efforts so that our children have the best education, the latest toy or an unforgettable trip ... The problem comes when they are not aware of everything we have to do and what we have to deprive ourselves to make it possible.
Pleasing them in absolutely everything they ask for, whether we want them to have all the things we dream of or because we want to avoid a tantrum, is the most common mistake parents make ... The bad thing is that most of the time we think that we are making them happy when we are actually provoking the breeding ground so that the opposite happens.
What can we do to prevent it?
I remember that as a child I was clear that my parents had to work hard to support the family. I don't remember when I got it, but they did explain how it worked, that things had to be paid and that to get the money, dad and mom had to work. I think the important thing is to involve the child with real life, explain why the routines, what it means to save, go shopping and why sometimes we can treat ourselves with a whim and why sometimes not.
It is also important to be aware that rewarding you through material things is not always a good idea.. They should understand that like everyone else at home, they have responsibilities that they must fulfill (for example, picking up toys when they are finished, helping mom set the table or simply doing homework). It's okay to surprise them once in a while, but I think it should be a sporadic thing and not the usual thing.
In short, it is vital to teach our children to value what they have and what we love so much. Not only because it is a fundamental part of parenting, but because it is something that will serve them for the rest of life.
