How to raise a teenager in minimalism in the age of global consumerism

So we pay dearly always chasing what is cheaper. AI Solzhenitsyn

We live in constant pursuit of benefits. We want everything and more. We are always looking for someone who has a better car, at home, more and higher fence. Be content with little is virtually impossible, and we have to drive themselves into debt and endless work.

The children are watching us, making himself notes in the future. In adolescence, this desire is exacerbated even more, because they do not want to be worse than others. Large house with a white fence and a car - it's a way imposed on us by manufacturers. But not everyone will be happy in this house. And then to not have been excruciatingly painful for the wasted time, it is necessary to teach children conscious approach to the choice of the way and not be part of the herd, which is fed everything.

Simulate ease

The best example - a personal example. Show them by example that it is possible to be happy without a huge number of beautiful and fashionable things. In life there are so many pleasures that you can get for free!

Encourage idealism

Many teenagers - idealists at heart. Encourage them to change the world and make something great. Do not let the house with a white fence and a beautiful machine to become the limit of their dreams. They deserve much more. And the world deserves such people who can make it better.

Volunteering

Encourage them to take with you in good works - work in the kitchen for the homeless or poor, in children's and youth centers, etc.

less TV

I agree with this point at 100%! Yes, the Internet can also be found advertising, but it can be filtered and it is not as obtrusive. We have abandoned the TV about a year ago and absolutely no regrets about it. The benefit of this failure is clearly visible on the example of our five year old son. He never asks to buy something. But after he is staying with his grandmother a few days, which has a TV, immediately begins to beg, so he bought, and I quote: "Chocolate flakes bunny, but those which are in the box and a toy! "And then he can list almost indefinitely, just all depends on the amount he had seen advertisements.

Let the child himself pays for expensive items or toys

When you give money out of their pockets, which were intended for the breakfast, you are a thousand times to think about how you want this thing. And if the money were more and earn an honest child labor, then it will not be a thousand, a million! When the thing goes for nothing, it is not appreciated. But it is necessary to pay for it and the attitude changes instantly. Children need to understand the relationship between labor, obtaining money for this work and expense.

You can start early, not necessarily wait for adolescence. I do not mean to send their child to work in 6 years, in any case! But it must be understood that we can not get everything at once. At one time, we were a bit lost control and Vanya got something out of Lego almost every weekend. He got used to it and began to accept these gifts as something for granted. But to buy the designer sets every weekend - fun is not cheap. And we decided to rectify the situation before it is too late. As a result, child care saves money on new Lego, donating rolls, which he received every day. Of course, the rolls - this is not only sweet, but I do not Frekken side, but we had agreed that if he would give up rolls - will receive for their cash equivalent and put into a piggy bank.

Teach your child to see the hidden subtext in advertising

As I said, completely protect from the advertising does not work, but you can teach a child to understand the subtext. What he trying to sell? And whether it will work as advertised in the advertisement? Usually the answer to the second question - no. Of course, it works, but with some reservations, and teeth will be as white, but if you go to the dentist; and the figure is slim, unless with low-calorie breakfast of well-known companies you plow in the gym at least 3 times a week; Leather and adolescents will clean not only because they will enjoy umyvalkami, but because they will eat right, but not the dirtiest.

find an ally

During adolescence, children are rarely listened to the advice of their parents. I can not say that this is the default behavior does not occur in all families in this way. Still, most of the child longer listens to the advice of someone else who is close to him in spirit. And if you say in one ear to the other depart, never caught on in your head, try to understand, to whom exactly equal to the child, and find in him an ally on education.

I have a best friend, with whom we have been friends almost from childhood, and our mother is also very friendly. When I was 13, I was terribly annoyed when my mother started to teach me life. But when it did Aunt Lena (girlfriend mum), a miracle happened, and other words, but bearing the same meaning, reached its goal. The same thing happened with the girlfriend - she listened to the words of my mother, and while she could ignore her.

Distribute chores

Parents are always trying to make the lives of their children as best as possible, what would it it is not worth it. The child always gets the best of everything, and it is shielded from the difficulties of everyday life. But preserving them so that adults often make matters worse, because children do not have the possibility to prepare for real life, with all its positive and not so by the parties. It is therefore desirable to teach a teenager responsibility. And the sooner he will understand and accept it, the better for him.

Travel to less developed countries

And this, I tell you, will affect not only your child but also for you. After I saw the children on the streets of Dahab (a small city in Egypt, the center of windsurfing, kitesurfing and wish to dive into Blue Hole) and the way they play and how they play, I realized that we too squirm with your child and spoil his.

For younger children, this is a good example of how the toy can be made from sticks and scrap materials, and to play it, it turns out, is much more interesting than an expensive toy. And teens will see that people are able to live at a much lower amount than that to which they are accustomed.

Teach them that the main value - it is their personality, and not that this person belongs

Finally, and in my opinion, the most important - is to understand the teenager, the most important thing - it's him, his essence, his personality, rather than what he has. On the beautiful and expensive trinkets to fly a huge number of "friends" who eventually somewhere vanish as soon as begin to understand that they can not receive financial benefit from this friendship. Friends can buy, but it is better to do it with your own personal qualities, rather than the beautiful screen of expensive clothes, toys and beautiful round sum as pocket money.

Frankly, I myself long struggled with shopaholic in his inside, as all my conscious childhood and part of his youth my parents stood in huge lines for "it is not clear what, but take, while give. " But as soon as I had the opportunity to buy whatever I wanted, I had to stop nearly impossible. For years, sandwiched hungry consumer resurfaced. Consequences - flat, littered with unnecessary things, and wardrobe, which was crammed with clothes, but wear, as always, there was nothing. I still managed to cope with the internal impulse to buy all that much.

However, with the advent of the child came a relapse, the memories of my childhood broke, and I decided that this is my child certainly will not need anything. Therefore, initially, he was swamped with gifts, and he bought the best of everything. But over time I saw Vanya refers to things. He believes that no one can come to him without a gift, and expensive purchases every weekend - it is rather a pleasant routine. Therefore, it was urgently convened a family meeting, and grandmother just put before the fact: pamper grandson allowed, but within reasonable limits, because my grandmother still must remain grandmothers;)