父母要啥給啥 英國產生現在就要一代

Parents are creating an 'I want it now' generation by indulging children's every demand at Christmas, say experts.

專家稱，父母們總是滿足孩子聖誕節的每個要求，從而導致“現在就要”一代的產生。

In contrast to the generous boy in this year's popular John Lewis advert, youngsters in Britain are becoming increasingly selfish, claim the education analysts.

教育分析家指出，和今年約翰?路易斯熱門廣告中那個大方的男孩形成對比的是，英國的年輕人現在變得越來越自私。

Consumer-savvy children are forcing their families into racking up huge debts and risk becoming spoilt and dissatisfied in the future.

現在的孩子很能花錢，他們一面迫使家人債臺高築，另一面這種生活方式讓他們可能被寵壞，未來還容易對生活感到不滿。

Behavioural consultant Chris Calland said: 'Parents are desperate to make Christmas into magical fairytale for their kids.

行爲顧問克里斯?卡蘭德說：“父母們很想把聖誕節爲自己的孩子打造成一個神奇的童話。”

'There’s nothing wrong with that as such. The problem arises when it means always giving into all our children’s demands - even if they are beyond our price range or not age-appropriate.'

“這樣的行爲本身並沒有錯。但如果總是孩子要什麼就給什麼，即使孩子提的要求已經超出了我們的經濟能力範圍或和孩子的年齡不相稱也是如此，問題就產生了。”

Ms Calland, who runs ‘Santa Says No’ style sessions with colleague Nicky Hutchinson, added: 'Many of us go into so much debt providing the gifts our children want that we spend the rest of the year paying off the bills.

卡蘭德和同事尼奇?哈欽森一起舉辦了“聖誕老人說不”時裝會。她補充說：“我們當中的許多人爲了給孩子他們想要的禮物而欠了許多債，這一年中剩下的日子不得不在還債中度過。'Yet so often the parcels we’ve carefully wrapped, once opened, are just pushed away because the very thing our little boy or girl was once so desperate for, they have now lost interest in.'

“然而我們精心包裝好的禮物常常是一打開就扔在了一邊，因爲我們的寶貝兒子或女兒對這件曾經渴望得到的禮物已經失去了興趣。”

Ms Calland and Ms Hutchinson have drawn up a list of guidelines to help parents manage their offspring's Christmas lists this year.

卡蘭德和哈欽森已經起草了一個幫助父母們管理孩子今年的聖誕禮物願望清單的指南。

They say that adults can actually improve their relationships with their children by resisting 'pester power'.

他們說，成人們其實可以通過抵制“兒童消費力”來改善與孩子之間的關係。

Ms Calland said: 'All too often we say yes because we want an easier life when the fact is we’re only building up problems for the future.

卡蘭德說：“很多情況下，我們答應孩子的要求是因爲我們想讓生活過得容易些，然而事實是，我們只是在給未來製造問題。”

'We are helping create a generation of youngsters who are blind to the needs of others and the necessity of hard work. We are giving them a sense of entitlement that won’t serve them well as adults.

“我們正在幫助培養出一代無視他人需要、不懂得辛苦勞作必要性的年輕人。我們這樣做會讓他們認爲一切都是應得的，這種想法在他們成年後有害無利。”

'Children learn fast – if we sometimes change our mind, they quickly realise it might be worth lying on the floor and screaming for it.

“孩子們學得很快——如果我們有時候改變想法滿足孩子的要求，他們會很快意識到也許躺在地上尖叫、吵着要東西是值得的。”

'Make sure you and your partner are working together on this. Be consistent. And try not to get caught up in competition with other family or friends.'

“請務必讓你和你的伴侶在這方面齊心協力。而且要始終如一。儘量使自己不要捲入和其他家庭或朋友的競爭當中。”