Orange City, Iowa — An extension expert says she’s not trying to be The Grinch, but her research indicates that perhaps it would be better to give fewer gifts to your kids, and more time with Mom and Dad.
ISU Extention and Outreach Human Sciences specialist Lori Hayungs says that although the holidays can be a season of giving, sometimes the focus shifts to a season of getting, or so it may seem from a child’s perspective.
She says it’s okay to give gifts to our children. We all want to see our children happy, and as parents we give from the goodness of our hearts. However, it is easy to overdo it, especially around the holidays, she says. This can become a pattern, and before we know it, we are overindulging our children – giving them too much, too soon and for too long. Hayungs says some of her research came from self-reflection.
She says her research both made her feel guilty and reaffirmed her thinking.
She says some of the best gifts cost no money. She encourages parents to ask a simple question.
Hayungs says she encourages people to put down their cell phones when they come home and spend some time talking to their kids.
For more information or to join the discussion, Hayungs says you can check out her blog, scienceofparenting.org.
