Why Do Your Children Continue to Nag?

"It's manipulation"

"It's a game"

"Sure psychologists can get into the heads of children. That's why we want them on staff"

Those quotes are from a marketing firm who had hired a group of psychologists to survey parents to record the nagging children. They were going to provide help to the parents. they were trying to find out what makes kids nag so their parents would give in and buy.

Nagging Children is their Goal

The goal is to get into the head of your child so they can get into your pockets. They spend more than $12 billion a year targeting children (not teenagers). Regardless of how high the number is it's your job, with the resources that you have, to combat that.

It may be a game to them. It can't be a game to you. Your children deserve better than to let marketing companies play games with their minds.

Failure here leads to raising kids who are materialistic and self-centered. "We are creating the consumers of tomorrow." As the amount of disposable income increases as children grow into teens and then adults they're "easier to manipulate".

Parents have the most powerful resource of all. More powerful than all of the money that advertisers are throwing at your children. You can say NO! You don't have to reward nagging.

Simple rule here - you always get more of what you reward.

You cannot stop nagging by rewarding it. Expect the nagging to escalate. When it does, continue to respond as before. Nothing is more powerful than a loving but firm parent. No matter how much money advertisers throw at your children they can't compete with a loving environment where NO means NO the first time just like it does the fiftieth.

Build walls around sacred places where nagging will not be tolerated. Such as "No nagging children results in the store". Public places are where a child learns to manipulate the parents or grandparents. They've learned (because they've been rewarded) that they get what they want if nagging will be an embarrassment.

Don't respond with non-answers such as, maybe or we'll think about it, we'll see, we'll talk about it later, or I don't know. All of these leave the door open to further nagging.

Make the reason for NO very clear. If they press tell them you said no and you already gave them the reason. It's not subject to discussion. Never argue with a child on their level. You're not equipped for that.

Give your child clear guidelines for public behavior. Nagging will not be allowed! Lay out the rules before hand they are easier to enforce that way.

Praying for your child is important but don't fail them by only praying. We must do that! But at the same time that we are praying we must be taking action. We must set boundaries and guidelines. We must DO the hard things or we'll lose to those who have deeper pockets.

Let advertisers spend their mega-bucks trying to manipulate your child into your pockets. You have a greater weapon. You're going to love them, nurture them, say no to them, and teach them that the good things in life don't come from nagging.