Are we overindulging our kids?

Sometimes I really think I'm living in a parallel universe! Twice in the last few months I've heard of parents giving their kids $20 from the tooth fairy!!!

Is it just me or is that an exorbitant amount of money to give a 6-year-old for a tooth?!

For me, this is one of those issues that reminds me, as a parent, how easy it is to overindulge our children. For many parents, we are able to provide our children with many of the material pleasures that we likely didn't enjoy as children. However, just because we can doesn't mean we should.

I heard Barbara Colorosso say once that we praise and indulge our kids too much and we don't teach them how to give enough. I love that comment. I do believe as parents it's important to limit the kinds of material goods we give our children and invest more effort into teaching them how to give to others. It's an important value and it's critical to a healthy self-esteem.

For more on this topic, check out this month's DK Parents newsletter on parenting, limits and children's self-esteem.