Parenting a Teen Shopaholic- How to Break the Cycle
By GalTime .com. Posted on .
By Talking Teenage, Jennifer A. Powell-Lunder, Psy.D., for GalTime.com
More from YourTango: The One Thing He Can't Do For You
Most parents want to give their teens the world, and then some. There does indeed reach a point where we sometimes take a step back and realize perhaps somewhere along the way we may have let things go a bit awry.
Does your daughter have more clothes than she could ever possibly wear in a year? Does she own more shoes than Imelda Marcos or Carrie from Sex in the City?
Could she use another room just to store all her stuff? Can you think of a weekend or even a day when she didn't come home with some new item?
Could the description above fit you as well? Do you look forward to gushing over each new item with your daughter?
Do you spend most of your time together at the local mall? Are you often overcome with the impulse to buy something even if you don't really need it?
Related: Understanding Your Teen's 'Will Not Wear' List
If so, you may just have a problem.
Sure, shopping can be a fun bonding experience. When the urge to shop however becomes a daily mission, trouble is sure to follow.
If you have recently become annoyed, overwhelmed and or even frustrated by your daughter's inclination to buy, it may be time to check out your own closet before you say something to her you may indeed regret.
Shopping on impulse aka shopaholism can result in some serious trouble including overwhelming debt, bad credit and in some cases even hoarding.
These consequences can have far reaching affects on a family. If for example, the family needs to make a large purchase such as a car, debt and bad credit at the hands of your teen can have a negative impact.
Teens' whose impulsive buying knows no limit may carry this inclination toward excess to other areas of their lives.
Parents reticent about redirection or limit setting often learn too late that their lack of enforceable consequences have led to a life which knows no bounds.
Related: Are Moms "Stealing" Their Teenager's Style?
Parents who shop impulsively often find it difficult to enforce buying limits on their teens. More often than not, such parents encourage their teen's spending behaviors by joining in and contribute by consistently buying stuff for them. Oohing and aahhing over your teen's new purchases certainly doesn't help curb her carnivorous habit either.
More from YourTango: How To Get Financially Stable After Divorce
So what's a parent to do? How can you curb your teen's buying binging when you are prone to excessive shopping habits yourself? Here are some ideas on where to start:
1.) Acknowledge your own obsession. Avoid the ole 'do as I say, not as I do.' A frank conversation in which you admit your own over spending is a good place to start.
