How to Raise Non-Materialistic Children in Today’s World

Materialism among children has been on the rise. Are you worried about your kids and materialism and the constant desire for more? Learn how to raise non-materialistic children in today’s world.

How to raise non-materialistic children?

How to Raise a Non-Materialistic Child: 8 Ways to Reduce Materialism in Children

Materialist vs. Non-materialist: What's the Difference?

A materialist is a person who believes that matter is a fundamental substance in nature and that all things, including consciousness and mental aspects, are the results of physical interactions. In idealism, consciousness and mind are the first-class realities to which matter is subordinated. 

In materialism, consciousness and mind are secondary, epiphenomena or sub-products of material processes without which they cannot exist. According to this principle, the material creates consciousness and determines, not vice versa. 

A materialist is highly concerned with the acquisition of wealth or physical comfort and material possessions, rather than with intellectual, spiritual, or cultural values. He considers that matter and physical laws are the most reliable evidence of the nature of consciousness and mind. 

A non-materialist is a person, who is not the main focus on material or physical objects and does not make them his primary pursuit of happiness, only uses the materials and physical things. 

We live in a physical and material world; we have no way of avoiding the "material" assumption and whether everything that exists is “physical” or not. To prove that our pre-hypothesis is true or false, we have to predict it to be done; we have to put it in a logical circular loop just like a confirmed bias. So we have no choice but to use different things in our daily lives. Perhaps the word "use" rather than "love" should be emphasized. In the case of people, maybe we should try and "love" material objects and be careful not to "use" them. 

To describe oneself as a "non-materialist" can easily seem like taken to others who are well closed. We are all fairly materialists, but most of us will willingly sacrifice any material thing we own to ensure the survival of a family member and the safety without any hesitation.

What makes children materialistic?

There are two things that affect materialistic children. The first is clear: intentionally or not, we socialize adults to be materialists. When children find their parents, peers, and celebrities-models with materialism, they have more tendencies to be seduced by wealth and luxury. So when parents are materialistic, children are likely to follow the suit. The same thing is watching television regularly: the more TVs they watch, the more likely they are to be materialists. The less obvious factor behind materialism is to do with the degree to which our needs are being met. When people feel unfulfilled or insecure - due to poverty or because of basic psychological necessities like safety, qualifications, engagement, or autonomy that is not being fulfilled - they often try their best to make money and to remove the fear of insecurities by trying for wealth and many fancy things. Because of this, relatively poor teenagers are more materialistic than ironically rich ones. And there are more materialistic children in low nutrition and more emotionally cool moms.
Therefore, materialism that leads to collecting brand-name cloth and luxury items can cause symptoms of insecurity and rival strategy used to reduce the feelings of self-doubt or to remove poor self-image.  But if children are really demanding then there is more happiness and fulfillment, materialism is a terrible combat method. Best of all, it will provide only short-term relief; for a long time, it can really deepen the feelings of insecurity.
If you are a parent, you may be worried that materialism is increasing among your children. According to research, materialism has different mental health problems, such as dealing with anxiety and depression, as well as selfish behavior and attitude. 

Social media influence on materialism

Materialism is not new suspense but can be increasingly difficult. These days children would covet games and toys as they see their friends playing with or were advertised on TV.

Now, children have to face ongoing restrictions and a constant barrage of advertising on the Internet, from social media to web advertisements and even YouTube videos of other children playing with new toys and games. And if your children use Smartphones, tablets or laptops, many games, and apps in the form of advertisements are appearing on the screen for engagement. 

The negative effect of a high materialist child can be far-reaching - it can be a distraction from studies, financial stress on parents, and more important social and developmental activities in children, and can set unrealistic expectations for adulthood.

So how can we overcome the power of continuous advertising in the digital age, and how can we prevent materialism in our children?

How to Avoid Raising a Materialistic Child?

How to raise non-materialistic children?

A new study report has been published in the Journal of Positive Psychology which states that some parenting strategies can prevent the materialistic tendencies of children.
Many scientists from the University of Illinois at Chicago and other universities participated in this study. 
After studying nationwide specimens of over 900 teenagers aged 11 to 17, researchers found a link between gratitude and its effects on materialism, suggesting that expressing gratitude and personality could possibly reduce materialism. And can increase generosity among adolescents. He surveyed 870 teenagers and asked them to complete the online eight-item measure of materialism, assessing the value put on money and material goods, and asked them to assess the four-item solution of gratitude for how grateful it is for people and properties in life. The researchers then used an experiment among 61 teenagers and asked them to complete the same four-item gratefulness measure with the study and eight items of materialism measures. Adolescence was randomly assigned to keep a daily magazine for two weeks. A group was asked to record their gratitude for each day for whom and whether they were grateful, and the control group was asked to record their daily activities. 
After two weeks, the magazines were collected and the participants fulfilled the same gratitude and materialism measures as before. The children were then given 10 $ 1 bills to participate and said that they can donate some or all of the money to charity or keep all of it for spending on their own needs. 
The results showed that participants were encouraged to keep gratitude; a significant reduction in materialism and an increase in gratitude were seen. The control group, which kept the Daily Activity Magazine, retained its pre-journal level of gratitude and materialism. Apart from this, the group that kept the gratitude journal was more liberal than the control group. The teenagers, who were in the experimental group, wrote about whom and they were grateful for more than two-thirds of their earnings and used to donate. Those who were in the control group and just wrote about their daily activities donated less than half of their earnings.
Researchers have suggested that materialism can be controlled and feelings of gratitude can be enhanced by a daily gratitude reflection around the dinner table, in which children create posters for adolescence, or "gratitude jars" Keeping where children and teenagers compete with materialism.

8 Ways to Reduce Materialism in Children

Here are some suggestions for raising less materialistic children:

• Give them a regular allowance, and a place to keep it. Divide the money into three categories - giving, saving and spending,
• Make a clear distinction between needs and wants.
• Teach your children to recognize that they get the wishes of advertising like material things.
• Discuss family financial situations - Your children need to understand how your expenses and income affect them, and how their expenses and waste spending affect your family.
• Continue the conversation of money - their income, expenditure, and physical interests will change over the years, so it will also be needed along with their views.
• Find a consultant - The person who has a financial memorial and manages to maintain a good balance between need, desire, and expense.
• Spend more time on your children than money - Try to be careful to spend time with those things for which there is no cost: go to the park and museum, ride the bike.
• Be careful of TV commercials and other media programs. Fortunately, now it is easier than ever to avoid ads because seeing things is more standard than in the past. You can also establish a culture in your family that there is a privilege of TV, computer, phone, game, etc., is not correct, and you retain the right to control access to children and look at things like text history. As an added bonus, there is more time for talking without many media families, and parents learn better what is going on in the developing minds of their children.

So if you think that your children are getting slightly upset with physical assets, then try these eight strategies.