A Frankenkinder is the 21st century version of a spoilt child – a monster created by the emotional neglect of its own parents. Yet these kids look far from neglected. They are dressed in designer clothes and have all the latest Playstation games and personal electronic gadgetry. They are wise beyond their years and yet are also extremely immature. So how did we end up with a generation of these kids?
Looking through a recent catalogue in my mail box gave me some insight. There was bath oil on sale. No problem with that except there was also a special bath oil for children available. It featured a cartoon logo instead of the more esthetically pleasing adult varieties which usually feature fruit-and-flower photoshopped fantasies. And not only was there a bath oil for kids, but it came in different skins types.
The madness continued. There were toothbrushes for kids, too. Not just one type, but several. Collect the lot. Flipping over the page, there were bath mats for children. I wondered why a child would ever need a bath mat of their own. What’s wrong with the family bath mat?
Apart from the myriad of toys, electronic games and designer clothes that our kids are exposed to, the market now caters to parents who buy these “kids-only” bath oils, shower gels, toothbrushes and bathmats. And that is just covering the bathroom area.
We are only too familiar with kitchen items designed for children, beginning with special food for “special” kids. Too lazy to slice cheese, we have long had cheese slices. But now kids have their own variety of cheese slices which are encased in wrapping designed to appeal to a child.
Magazines encourage us to feed our children fruit and vegetables but do we really need to arrange the specially-cut items in the shape of a face or a train in order to get our children to eat these life essentials? In my own experience, I have only performed such an act for a very sick child who was struggling to eat. To offer this sort of indulgence on a daily basis is to set your child on the path to being a Frankenkinder – an out-of-control, overindulged, emotionally-delayed child.
In coming articles, we will look at the link between indulging your child and many mental health problems, including Antisocial Personality Disorder and Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Contact Beth McHugh for further assistance regarding this issue.
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Don’t Give Your Children Everything