Benefits of Delayed Gratification

What do you do when your kids ask you to buy things for them?
First you validate and say “you’re really excited about xyz”
Then acknowledge “you really want this toy”
If it’s something you don’t mind getting then you may say “let’s put it on your list for your birthday or the holidays”
This way, you are promoting delayed gratification and not enabling instant gratification.
If it’s something you don’t want to buy them…. Explain why depending on the child’s age. For instance, it’s it a big plastic light up toy “I can see why this looks so exciting. It has bright lights and makes a lot of sounds. We try as a family to limit the amount of plastic we buy because it’s our job to take care of and protect our earth. But let’s think of something else that you may want to put on your list. We can look together.”
The ability to delay gratification is a skill that we can begin to work on with our children at a young age. Practicing delayed gratification will help our children learn self control, will power, and foster intrinsic motivation.