THE OPPOSITE OF SPOILED summary

Introduction

The Opposite of Spoiled by Ron Lieber. What is in it for me? The secret to raising well-rounded, generous kids. Are you shocked by how much stuff kids have today?

With their smartphones, iPods, consoles, and designer gear, they seem to have it all. To someone who grew up a decade or so ago, today's kids are materialistic, spoiled even. Why is this? This summary shows you where this materialism has come from.

Incredibly, it does not come from parents putting too much consideration on money, but from too little talk about it. Rather than educating their offspring about the value and cost of money, parents simply buy them whatever they desire. We need to change this if we want the next generation to be full of more rounded, less spoiled individuals. So, let us dive in and learn how we can turn things around.

This is The Opposite of Spoiled by Ron Lieber.

Teach your children about money to make sure they do not grow up spoiled.

Teach your children about money to make sure they do not grow up spoiled. What would you say is the most unlikable trait of kids today? Some parents would say stupidity, unexceptionality, and even violence. But the most common answer by far is that they are spoiled.

Oftentimes, when people think of spoiled, their next thought is money. This leads many parents to believe that focusing on money when raising their kids will spoil them. But this simply is not the case. By definition, being spoiled has little to do with money.

Actually, there are four basic qualities that all spoiled children have in common. First, they tend to have practically no chores, tasks, or responsibilities to others. Second, they do not have to follow rules or adhere to schedules. Third, they receive too much time and attention from their parents.

And fourth, they often have many material possessions. With the exception of the last point, none of these have anything to do with money. In fact, money, whether an education in it or responsibility for it, can actually help prevent your kids from growing up spoiled. Because children who learn about money also learn thrift, curiosity, generosity, and patience, qualities that most would consider the opposite of spoiled.

For instance, what better way to teach generosity than by giving the opportunity to give? Not just that, you can also promote patience and thrift by encouraging children to save money or learn to make do with the money they have. Unfortunately today, talking to children about money is taboo. Why?

Because we are embarrassed to discuss our wealth or how it compares to that of our neighbors, with anyone, much less our children. So we put the topic off limits. This, in turn, denies kids the opportunity to learn about money and they become spoiled. In order to ensure your kids grow up to be well-rounded people, it is essential to break down these barriers.