Unrealistic Expectations

I develop a tick every time I hear a mom talking about how the tooth fairy is "so expensive."  I really do.  Just yesterday, I heard, "Well I gave my son $10 for his first tooth and $5 for every tooth thereafter."  I hear jokes about inflation.  I hear jokes about how 25 cents is nothing to a kid any more.  But it's not funny and I'll tell you why....

UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

Oh sure, sure.  Tell me how it doesn't matter when they're that young.  Tell me how it's not that big of a deal.  Of course it's not.  It's just a small snowball in a snowstorm.  Unfortunately, pile a bunch of those "small snowballs" together and you create a very large one that rolls downhill and causes an avalanche.  It truly is something you need to consider.

When you set your kid's expectations at a high level at a very young age, it seems harmless.  For instance, when you buy your 5 year old an I Pad for their birthday, it seems like it's not that big of a deal.  You tell yourself it's for educational purposes and you promise they'll use it for JUST that.  A month later, they're playing "Angry Birds" all day long.  But that's not the problem.  The real problem is when their next birthday comes around and they want another super expensive toy.  You poo-poo on the idea and their response is, "Well how come I got an I Pad for last birthday but you won't get me a cell phone for this birthday?"  The cycle continues and they're expecting a brand new sports car for their 16th birthday and a down payment on a house for their 18th birthday.  It seriously doesn't stop.  What seems like a small snowball builds....

When you set your kids expectations high on the tooth fairy, it seems harmless.  I mean, it's only $5 right.  Let's just leave out the kids whose parents can't afford to pay $5/tooth who are now wondering what's wrong with them and why the tooth fairy pays less for their teeth because that's a whole different argument.  Let's simply discuss how the tooth fairy saga will continue.  Your five year old gets paid $10 for their first tooth and $5 for the second.  Their birthday comes around and Great Aunt Edna gives them $5 in their birthday card.  Now that's a lot for Great Aunt Edna that lives on a fixed income but guess what your five year old thinks: "Man, Great Aunt Edna ONLY gave me $5. "  Now you want to teach your kid responsibility.  You make a chore chart and tell them they'll get an allowance.  What kind of allowance?  Well it can't be $5 because they get that JUST for losing teeth.  Now you're paying your kid $10-$20 to make their bed and clear the table.  It's a vicious cycle.  What seems like a small snowball builds.....

You can give me a speech on how I'm exaggerating and I accept your opinion, wholeheartedly.  Let me know ten years from now, though, how it turned out.  And please, please, please spare me the "I don't know how my kid got such an entitled little attitude" speech down the line....I tried to warn you about the avalanche before it began.