One day when I turned on the TV for whatever reason it was set to the “Tyra Banks Show.” Don’t know how or why but before I could click over to an “Everybody Loves Ray” rerun, I learned that her topic was Americans pampering their pre-teens to the tune of 20 million a year!
We’re talking facials, massages, pedi’s and mani’s. There are even chains of stores now marketing to parents who want “the best” for their children! Transfixed, I watched in dismay as Tyra Banks interviewed half a dozen proud parents for this episode. Some actually spent over $80K/year on pampering in order to keep their kids “happy”! The pampering began as early as age 2 and these groomed kids used their limited vocabularies to state how much they liked going to the kid spa because it was “fun” and “nice”.
ACK!
Producing a happy child was the goal for each parent. A delighted and well-manicured child sat next to the bragging parent bobbing their head in agreement that they wanted to look good. No child was over the age of 11. All were glad to be on TV.
Did I mention how many middle class annual incomes these well to do families wasted in the interest of giving their children the “physical advantage” of appearance?? One mother bragged that she would not let her 6 year old out of the house with chipped nail polish b/c it would reflect her poor parenting. She even taught her 9 year old son to deserve massages and opened her own kiddie spa because she saw the need.
ACK AGAIN!
What has happened to instilling value in what our children contribute to society? And in these economic times, to see so many adults cavalierly spending more that our family earns just so the kids look and feel good is beyond me.
When these pampered kids reach adult land, will they ever own their own behaviors? Will they ever care about the needs of others beyond self?
This is a perfect example of the immense responsibility a parent has to lay a foundation that will impact multitudes of generations.
Please don’t focus on the fleeting externals…
You said it right when you said "ACK!"
ReplyDeletePeople don't realize what a burden they are putting on their kids when they teach them to have such unrealistic expectations. Good luck finding someone to "love, honor and cherish" the rest of their lives!