Generation NeXt Parenting

Guest Blogger...Cara Putman

Material Girls?

I don’t know about you, but in the post Christmas glut of gifts I always feel a bit…over-indulgent. Now I love getting gifts. Love the surprise. And love when someone gets me a gift that is so … me.

But in a society where a recreational activity is shopping, how do we teach our kids not to be constant consumers?

I ran across this interesting article on yahoo. A group of friends in San Francisco decided to take 2006 off from purchasing new items. They called it a shopping sabbatical. I called it crazy until I read the article. Then I thought how inspiring.

Is it possible to say I won’t buy anything new in 2007? Or that I will make meaningful gifts for people? Or that I will make something other than shopping my recreation of choice?

Now I’m a bargain shopper (got the kids next year’s winter coats for $15 instead of $50 yesterday, and enjoyed every minute of that hunt). And my six year old has already picked up on the fact you start with the sale racks first. But the more I think about this, the more I think there’s something to it.
I think Paul called it being content in all things. Or, to Caraphrase, being content with what you have.

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 8:40 AM