Teach your kids to be consumer conscious

In this issue, Leah Dobkin, mother of three teens, writes about losing control of her kids to corporate America, a fear many parents share. Find tips on how to regain control by teaching your kids about advertising and consumerism.

| April 2008 issue

4) The Rest of the Story ...

Children should learn that advertising gives them some, but not all of the information needed to make informed choices. Help your child to understand that product information does not come from advertising exclusively and that a commercial is only an "introduction," not the whole story.

How can you help your child learn to investigate products before making a decision about a purchase? The best way for parents to make this point is to lead through personal example. Involve your child in the decisions about family purchases, from clothing to appliances. Let your child see how you weigh the relative merits of particular brands. Help your child in making similar decisions when it comes to even minor toy and entertainment purchases.

5) Reality Checks

Whenever and wherever possible, parents should share in their children's TV viewing and urge them to discuss and think critically about what they are seeing. When viewing commercials, talk about the various elements which may make them deceptive or misleading. These discussions need not create cynics nor inevitably lead to the conclusion that all advertising is suspect. Instead, "reality checks" can foster responsible decision-making behavior in growing children.

Suppose you and your young children see a TV ad for a "900" teleprogram featuring a talking unicorn. The commercial might sound something like this:

"Hi, kids! I 'm Ursula and I live in a magical land with lots of other magical friends. I want to talk to you and be your friend, too. You can call me here and I'll tell you all about my magical adventures."

A voice-over then interrupts with the words:

"$1. 75 the first minute; $1.00 each additional minute. Kids, get your parent 's permission."

After the commercial, do a "reality check" with your children to help them distinguish between reality and fantasy. For example:

Are there really unicorns?
Can animals really talk?
If we call the "900" number, do you think you'll really talk to the unicorn? What do you think will happen when you call? Will you hear a story about a unicorn?
How long is a minute? (Then you can time something to find out.) If you can buy three story books for the cost of this one telephone call, would you rather keep the books or just listen to the phone for a few minutes?

Asking these questions and having your children think about the answers will spur them to analyze advertising and products on their own. More generally, this process also should help to build your child's self-confidence and sense of competence when it comes to making decisions. To keep your child on this positive path, encourage him or her to bring to you any questions about ads that are viewed when you are not present.

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