DAD-Chronicals : Brand Delusions and Status Icons and Children
Brand Delusions and Status Icons in Children - What Should Parents Support?
Man is a social being and wants to feel part of a group. This is as important for children as it is for us adults. Especially in schoolchildren and teens, this affiliation must often be "bought". By brand clothing, the latest cell phone or other status icons. It is often difficult for parents to handle it properly.
My son comes home and angrily throws his schoolbag into the corner: "I absolutely need a pair of Diesel jeans!" In conversation, it turns out that the fourteen-year-old is ostracized in the clique, because he clearly chic, but just nameless jeans in wearing the school. The parents are at a loss: Should they help out and give the son a pair of jeans for more than 100 euros or not?
Status icons - signs of social position
People use status symbols to define their social status. It is mostly about origin and social or intellectual position, which is expressed by the symbol. Which status symbol is currently "in" has a lot to do with society, that is with the zeitgeist. The best example in our society is the car. Formerly status symbol number one, studies have found that the once most important status symbol of the western world has served its purpose. The car was replaced mainly by adolescents by mobile phone or other electronic devices. Each group - in the case of teenagers each clique - defines its own status symbols. In the case of my other son, it's the brand jeans, but it can just as be playstations, the size of the music collection on the hard disk, a perfectly trained body or a certain behavior.
How much status symbol must be?
Most children and adolescents then insist on the use of status symbols when they have a low self-esteem. In this case, parents ask themselves: is it worthwhile to support this "weakness" and to protect the child by providing the status symbols to him or rather to work on improving the self-esteem of the child so that it is free? can say out: I am as I am and do not need status symbols! The truth is here, as so often in the middle. If it's of enormous importance to your child, you should not leave out the expensive jeans or the new Playstation completely. At the same time, you need to work with your child to improve their self-esteem. Because always only as a sheep in the herd to run along, no father wishes his child. But that's exactly what happens when the young people of a clique subordinate themselves to a symbol.
To strengthen the self-esteem of your child
The feeling of being of little value can be a phase - for example during adolescence - or a self-image anchored in early childhood. No matter what it is, it should help your child, because good self-esteem is important in order to feel free and to become part of society and a suitable group. Young people often help their own activities, from which they achieve a sense of achievement: this can be a sport, preferably a team sport; Theater plays, model flying or other demanding hobbies where your child makes something very special, strengthen his self-confidence. Emotionally, you can give support by repeatedly signaling: I am there for you, I love and understand you!
Who pay the costs for the important status symbol?
If it really must be the 150 Euro brand shoes, then bring your child on board. It should cover at least part of the cost itself. It can save pocket money, help in the household, do holiday work or whatever comes to mind. Financing the coveted object itself, on the one hand, is conducive to mindfulness, and on the other, it simply relieves the parents financially and may even make adolescents aware of how much money they (unnecessarily) spend on a single thing they might could have been a lot cheaper.
I´m looking forward to your experiences and additions.
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![keepinitsteem[1].png](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmT7MTa9PQKyxeH3LTmpzYUKW2c1PSwvKfWaByVqUAmWFK/keepinitsteem[1].png)
Very true what you say, very good message.
hmmm... its a tough place to be for a parent... like you said, they have to choose between giving some slack their child as far as having things that help them fit in, and also teaching them to be more self-sufficient, and not fall into peer pressures...
Since i don't have children, all i can remember is myself being that age, and now that i think about it, my parents actually did something kinda clever... they were much more favorable to let me have things that I wanted because I thought the item was unique, and really never got me things that i wanted because everyone else has them... so i had developed a taste for unique things... and even today i'm turned off by trends and brands... Thrifting is all the rage! haha.
I also like your idea of splitting the cost with the child. This can be a positive experience and reinforcement on many levels.