Sarah's Kids, Materialism, Presents and the Peaceful Parenting Long View: Episode 215

In this episode of the Peaceful Parenting Podcast, I bring back one of my favourite holiday episodes, which is an interview with my kids, where we talk about ‘people, not stuff’.Every year around the holidays, I hear from parents who are worried their kids are too focused on presents, too greedy, or too materialistic — and they’re afraid they’re getting something wrong. I made this episode to offer a long-term perspective. I interviewed my own kids (then 14, 17, and 20) about what holidays and gifts felt like when they were little — and what actually mattered as they got older. Us last year at Christmas- on one of the Christmas Day walks we discussed on the podcast:In the episode, we talk about why “wanting stuff” is normal in childhood, how values really develop over time, and why parents can relax a lot more than they think.🎉🎂 Also- today is my birthday! If this podcast, our posts, or our work has helped you and your family, and you want to give back to us, you can help cover the costs of our free content by supporting us on Substack for the cost of a fancy coffee a month. Or you can support us- without spending- any money by doing any or all of the following:* follow the podcast and leave a 5 star review and rating on your podcast player app* leave a Google review of our work HERE* forward a newsletter or podcast post to a friend* share a post or a podcast episode to your preferred content sharing spot :)My gift to you is an ad free episode today, which is what you get for every episode if you support us on Substack! Thank YOU for being here!!xx Sarah (and Corey!)Your peaceful parenting team- click here for a free short consult or a coaching sessionVisit our website for free resources, podcast, coaching, membership and more!You can listen wherever you get your podcasts, OR we’ve included a fully edited transcript of our interview at the bottom of this post.We talk about:* 2:00 — Intro: replay episode + why parents worry about “greedy/materialistic” kids* 3:00 — Holiday schedule update + invitation to email podcast ideas/guest suggestions* 3:34 — Why this episode: parents’ concerns about consumerism + interviewing Sarah’s kids* 4:00 — Important context: privilege, money, and why this worry comes from a privileged place* 5:00 — Two practical ways to handle privilege: Santa gifts + donating new presents* 7:00 — Meet Maxine (14): how holiday meaning shifts with age (family time, traditions, coziness)* 11:38 — “Ungrateful” little kids: why it’s normal + what parents shouldn’t panic about* 13:23 — What helps long-term: building traditions + experiences as gifts* 16:34 — Meet Asa (17): growing out of the “wanting stuff” stage + values changing over time* 21:05 — Middle school + fitting in: when brand-name wanting peaks (and why)* 22:30 — What parents should do: keep kids grounded + relax* 23:01 — Meet Lee (20): consumerism awareness, “people not stuff,” and the post-holiday letdown* 32:00 — Gratitude + privilege: why kids can’t fully grasp it yet, and how it comes with time* 33:31 — Reassurance: if you’re worried about this, you’re probably already doing fine* 34:34 — Wrap-up: “the parenting podcast paradox” + holiday wishesConnect with Sarah Rosensweet:* Instagram* Facebook Group* YouTube* Website* Join us on Substack* Newsletter* Book a short consult or coaching session callxx Sarah and CoreyYour peaceful parenting team- click here for a free short consult or a coaching sessionVisit our website for free resources, podcast, coaching, membership and more!>> Please support us!!! Please consider becoming a supporter to help support our free content, including The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, our free parenting support Facebook group, and our weekly parenting emails, “Weekend Reflections” and “Weekend Support” - plus our Flourish With Your Complex Child Summit (coming back in the spring for the 3rd year!) All of this free support for you takes a lot of time and energy from me and my team. If it has been helpful or meaningful for you, your support would help us to continue to provide support for free, for you and for others.In addition to knowing you are supporting our mission to support parents and children, you get the podcast ad free and access to a monthly ‘ask me anything’ session.Here’s the polished transcript of the interview-Today’s episode is a replay of an episode from four years ago.So many parents get worried, especially at this time of year, that their kids are materialistic and greedy and will never have good values. I thought you could use a little window into the future, and it would be helpful for you to see where we are in my family and what it’s like as kids get older.So I interviewed my kids about their experiences growing up with presents and holidays and stuff. So if your kid has a case of the greedy, you’ll see, if you listen to my kids, that it won’t last forever. At the time of ...