An article was sent to our local group a while back about teaching your kids about advertising. It had some really good tips on how to teach them not to become such voracious consumers like previous generations have become. The tips offered get kids to question the motives behind advertising. Anyone read this link or do something like this with their kids?
Mel, I liked this article! You know, in the past when my girls were little and we ended up in say . . . Target (gasp!) we would talk in the car about the things we were getting that day and how Target did a great job of making us think we wanted to buy lots of other stuff! So then when we were in the store we would see stuff that was shiny and fun and inevitably one of us would sigh, "oh, look at that. . ." And we could then add "We didn't come to buy that but Target sure makes us think we need it!" The girls really liked this "game".
Another game we played in the store was while waiting to check out. You know how the aisles next to the check out lines are full of candy and all kinds of junk. This game started one time when my youngest asked to get a candy bar. I said, "no, but if we were buying candy today, which one would you choose?" She went for it and was soon lost in the idea of the game. From then on, the girls often brought up the game while waiting in line. It also turned out to be a good way to spend the time while waiting to check out. I found this game worked in many situations when we weren't going to buy or get something but the temptation was there. (It works for grown-ups too! I've often played it in my head when I'm confronted with that impulsive consumer temptation.)
Now that trips to Target type stores are rare and the thrift store is more common, we have shifted the game to, "Just because it's a deal doesn't mean we need it!"
Anyway, I think it's great to find ways to help our kids combat the constant message to consume. I would love to hear more ideas.
