Focusing on true joy in the holidays

WHAT’S GOING ON?

In our society, children learn from parents, peers, and advertisements that what you own matters. By age 8, children understand the role of material things in social status and believe they contribute to identity and happiness. Santa – a magical being whose only expression of love for your kiddo is through stuff – only increases the stakes.

Unfortunately, getting more stuff does not breed joy:

Consumerism tends to make children less happy and increase depression, as it promoting competition over collaboration
Consumerism in childhood may even lead to decreased life satisfaction as adults
Too many toys increase kids’ anxiety, and decrease their creativity and attention-spans
Typically children value each of their toys less when they have too many

A better route to happiness during the holidays is to reframe them as a time to promote the experiences—such as connectedness, competence, and validation—and skills—such as mindfulness, self-regulation, empathy, and gratitude— that help kids feel satisfied all year-round.