Here’s How You Can Teach Your Child To Not Be Beholden To Instant Gratification

yakovlevadaria  - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual child
yakovlevadaria - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual child

In today’s fast-paced society, instant gratification is just the way of things. We experience it with our phones by reacting to that ding or vibration that signifies we have received a notification.

It also happens with getting packages delivered to our doors that we ordered mere hours ago. Amazon’s same-day delivery feature lets us have whatever we desire almost immediately.

Instant gratification is described as an urge to satisfy a craving right away and give in to a short-term reward that may prohibit you from reaching a long-term goal.

Relying on instant gratification too much can create some problems, such as being unable to consider the bigger picture, distracting us from meaningful achievements, and leading to overall destructive habits. It breeds impulsivity, inattention, and unrest.

Children are often criticized for displaying these behaviors but growing up in this day and age, that might be all they know.

The availability of so much advanced technology has made it so that we can instantly get anything we want with just the tap of a button on a screen.

Plus, young kids aren’t exactly known for their patience, anyway. But just because we live in an age of instant gratification and kids are notorious for being terrible at waiting, that doesn’t mean you can’t help your child break out of the cycle and learn self-control.

Teach your child how to delay gratification. It’s an essential life skill. Delayed gratification is the resistance to temptation in the hopes of obtaining a more valuable reward later on.

Kids who are able to practice delaying gratification usually have more positive outcomes in their futures. They are more successful academically, can cope better with unpleasant feelings, and have greater social competence with peers.

yakovlevadaria – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual child

Examples of what delayed gratification might look like in children include the ability to wait for food, refraining from spending allowance money right away, and waiting to indulge in entertainment until after their homework is completed.

Here’s how you can help your child develop more self-control. First of all, kids copy what their parents do. So if you want your child to improve, behave how you would like them to behave.

As a parent, exhibit patience in everyday life and verbally express your decision-making process when choosing between a short-term goal and a long-term one. Clearly describe the consequences of each with your child.

Additionally, you can encourage your child to set their own goals and instruct them on how to prioritize those goals. Having goals will align their focus and direct attention away from aimless acts.

Finally, celebrate any positive steps you see your child making, not just the achievement itself at the end. When you also recognize what they’ve accomplished on their journey, they feel more validated and encouraged to keep it up.

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Emily  Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a ... More about Emily Chan

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