Science of Parenting: How Much Is Too Much?

To protect children from overindulgence, emphasize love rather than money Article | Fri, 02/05/2016 - 15:30 | By Janet Smith, Lori Hayungs, Laura Sternweis

AMES, Iowa – Do some kids have too much stuff? Are they overinvolved in sports or dance or other activities? Knowing how much is too much often may depend on whether children also are getting enough positive interaction with the adults in their lives, say the Science of Parenting bloggers from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

“Highly stressful, competitive lifestyles and unavailable parents may make children more vulnerable to mental health problems and may compromise their well-being,” said Janet Smith, a human sciences specialist in family life.

“The excessive pressure to achieve combined with physical and emotional isolation and neglect from parents, has extreme negative effects on children, regardless of the family’s financial resources,” Smith said.

“When families become too invested in extrinsic rewards – the stuff – while at the same time neglecting intrinsic needs such as closeness in their relationship, that’s when negative mental health outcomes are more likely,” said Lori Hayungs, also a human sciences specialist in family life.

“Protecting children from overindulgence is a balance that puts more emphasis on love than on money,” Hayungs said. “We’re talking about the importance of spending more time than money on your children.”

This month Smith and Hayungs will blog about overindulgence and its impact on children’s happiness. They will discuss making conscious decisions about spending money on children and determining childhood needs vs. wants. They’ll talk about how to encourage life satisfaction at an early age and how to help children redirect their energy and desires from material goals to other rewards such as friendship, nature, art and literature.

Learn more from tips on the blog throughout the month and in a short podcast. Through the Science of Parenting, www.scienceofparenting.org, ISU Extension and Outreach specialists share and discuss research-based information and resources to help parents rear their children. Parents can join in the conversation and share thoughts and experiences, as well as how they handle parenting responsibilities.

The Science of Parenting from ISU Extension and Outreach also is available on Twitter and via text message.