Comments on: Grandparents and competitive spending http://narcissismblog.com/2009/06/11/grandparents-and-competitive-spending/ Tracking the narcissism epidemic Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:03:24 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Grandparents are Spoiling Their Grandchildren Like Never Before - CBS MoneyWatch.com http://narcissismblog.com/2009/06/11/grandparents-and-competitive-spending/#comment-212 Grandparents are Spoiling Their Grandchildren Like Never Before - CBS MoneyWatch.com Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:14:05 +0000 http://narcissismblog.com/?p=332#comment-212 [...] a new tricycle or even the latest video game system, you’re wrong. For better or for worse, our parents are shelling out billions of dollars on our kids. While you might think this is great — raising little ones is expensive, after all — [...] [...] a new tricycle or even the latest video game system, you’re wrong. For better or for worse, our parents are shelling out billions of dollars on our kids. While you might think this is great — raising little ones is expensive, after all — [...]

]]> By: JM http://narcissismblog.com/2009/06/11/grandparents-and-competitive-spending/#comment-200 JM Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:00:20 +0000 http://narcissismblog.com/?p=332#comment-200 While I agree with the general premise of this post, I want to point out (or add a point) that I believe many grandparents are either brow-beaten or guilt-driven into buying clothes, paying for education, etc., because of impossible financial demands on the parents who find it increasingly difficult to make it in the economic picture of today. Although more consumeristic today, this is definitely not the Economic Golden period of the 1950s to 1971 where income to expense ratio was ideal, and many wives could stay at home. This is a country that has gone from $20 to $30 an hour jobs for the masses down to $9 to $11 jobs for the uneducated masses with an increasing amount of "necessities." Therefore, as the parents fail to come up with the "goods," increasing pressure is brought to bare on the grandparents who are often in a more ideal financial situation thanks to social & corporate safety nets that are well funded for the time being. (It won't last though). And compatible with this pressure, many grandparents feed off the same notions as the parents when it comes to their grandchildren in that they are "super special," "unique," and shouldn't suffer the pain of wanting something but never being able to get it. Can't get it? No problem, here you go "Brooke," grandma got it for you. Why does 11 year-old Brooke need a cellphone? Well, she is special afer all... While I agree with the general premise of this post, I want to point out (or add a point) that I believe many grandparents are either brow-beaten or guilt-driven into buying clothes, paying for education, etc., because of impossible financial demands on the parents who find it increasingly difficult to make it in the economic picture of today. Although more consumeristic today, this is definitely not the Economic Golden period of the 1950s to 1971 where income to expense ratio was ideal, and many wives could stay at home.

This is a country that has gone from $20 to $30 an hour jobs for the masses down to $9 to $11 jobs for the uneducated masses with an increasing amount of “necessities.”

Therefore, as the parents fail to come up with the “goods,” increasing pressure is brought to bare on the grandparents who are often in a more ideal financial situation thanks to social & corporate safety nets that are well funded for the time being. (It won’t last though).

And compatible with this pressure, many grandparents feed off the same notions as the parents when it comes to their grandchildren in that they are “super special,” “unique,” and shouldn’t suffer the pain of wanting something but never being able to get it. Can’t get it? No problem, here you go “Brooke,” grandma got it for you. Why does 11 year-old Brooke need a cellphone? Well, she is special afer all…

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