Gratifying Kids' Wishes: When Enough Is Not Enough

Gratifying Kids' Wishes: When Enough Is Not Enough

- Lucy Daniel

Some parents find themselves faced with the dilemma of how much they should gratify their child’s wishes and where they should draw the line. Their child may create long wish lists and their parents, in an effort to avoid disappointing their child, may shower him or her with an abundance of gifts, only to find that these efforts simply weren’t enough to quell their child’s wishes for more.

Understanding Behavior

Seeking — or not seeking — external gratification is a behavior. The key to understanding why a child behaves or acts a certain way is to think of his behavior as a response to, or expression of, an emotional state. Behaviors are external clues about a child’s internal state of mind.