Curbing the Gimmies

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

18 Feb 2009 01:28 PM

Is your toddler or preschooler having a bad case of the gimmies, where she wants every toy, snack or object in the store. Shopping with a young child can be tough, especially if the child has a melt down whenever he can't have everything he sees. Here are some techniques for curbing the gimmies and setting limits. The both of you will be happier for it.

Delayed gratification is tough for a toddler or preschooler. They don't have the emotional maturity to handle all of the temptation, and they don't understand why they shouldn't have something. One way to cut down on the demands is to keep your child away from the temptation. This can be done by limiting the television or sticking with videos and PBS, where there won't be commercials.

Sometimes keeping your child away from the store isn't very practical. If you are shopping with your young child, bring along a favorite toy or book that she can hold. A snack can be pretty distracting, too, if the store allows food. One technique that has worked for me is to bring along a pad and a pencil. I ask my kids to "write" down anything they see that they want for a birthday or Christmas wish list. This works even for the ones who can't write yet. They scribble their wants and feel in control, while engaging in something distracting.

Teaching patience in other areas of life can also help with the gimmies. If you didn't catch my earlier blog about teaching politeness young children, you can review it now. Patience helps develop delayed gratification.

Watch how you reward your child. If you tend to buy presents just because or as a reward for good behavior, then your child may always expect a gift whenever he is not being bad. In fact, he may start being bad in order to prompt the promise of a gift for good behavior. Praise and extra attention work wonders as rewards. Give an extra hug or a trip to the library for good behavior.

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here or subscribe to the blog using the subscription box on the right.

Related Articles:

Helping Your Young Child Overcome Shyness

How to Encourage Social Skills in Your Young Child

Teach Your Child to Be Polite

Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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