Tips for Parenting in a Commercial Culture (continued)

When you say no to another gizmo, say yes to something your child really wants — your time.

In What Kids Really Want that Money Can’t Buy, author Betsy Taylor points to surveys and self-reports that indicate what children really want more than stuff is time — with parents, friends, and extended family. According to a 2003 New American Dream poll, 57 percent of children age 9-14 would rather do something fun with their mom or dad than go to the mall to go shopping.54
Kids yearn to get off the treadmill with their families and simply have unstructured fun. Whether it’s playing games, cooking,
reading together, or just sharing space with the TV off, remember that the best thing you can give your kids is you.

Rediscover nature. Richard Louv writes in Last Child in the Woods that children today are increasingly disconnected from the natural world, even as research shows that exposure of youngsters to nature can be a powerful form of therapy for attention-deficit disorder and other maladies. There is strong evidence, he reports, that independent play and exploration builds broad mental, physical, and spiritual health. Fostering connections with and respect for nature can also encourage children to think more about their values and how personal behaviors affect the world we live in.