How much do you consult your kids?

[kckady]

A recent marketing study shows that parents include their kids in all kinds of buying decisions, from where to shop and eat to where to go on vacation. Read about it here: http://bit.ly/xEz8rf

Do you do this? If so, how much?

[Dawn]

I ask my kids about groceries and meal planning often as it helps me to consider their choices. They're the ones I'm serving, might as well put some of their likes on the list.

[battlefieldmomma]

I don't consult. My kids eat just about anything, so what they don't like, I take into consideration, but don't necessarily remove it from the menu because they have preconceived ideas of some food items & I find that they actually like a certain food if it is cooked a certain way. I believe that if I automatically eliminate a food/item from a meal choice because of a preconceived "I don't like", it will make them less food adventurous as they grow older. When we grocery shop together, I show them nutrition labels & explain to them why I would or would not choose a product. I also show them how to determine which product/size is the better buy.

As for other items, my kids form opinions based upon advertising. I am certain that they are no different than any other teenager. We have discussed advertising & the message that manufacturers want to convey, but the kids think that certain things are better solely because of advertising & packaging. I'll listen to them, ask them if their opinion is based upon a commercial or hands on experience & then make my decision. Many times, I will tell them why I made the decision that I did because I hope to show them how to assess the value of a product & how to be an informed consumer.

[frizzed]

A recent marketing study suggest that parents include their kids in all kinds of buying decisions, from where to shop and eat to where to go on vacation. Read about it here: http://bit.ly/xEz8rf

Do you do this? If so, how much?

This has to be from The Onion right? Consult my kids on vacations, what to buy? Seriously, the closest I come is "McDonalds or Runza". And we wonder why kids r such entitled brats. This household is a loving dictatorship, not a democracy

[JoLynne]

Sure, if it is something my daughter has an interest in and is something that is truly negotiable, why not let her have a say? She's a person, too.

[mrsbluebear]

Of course our kids participate in some decisions, especially if it's something they're receiving/using the most. That said, no we don't buy supergooey sugar puffs under normal circumstances. However, they certainly have a say in if we go to the zoo or the science center in St. Louis on a weekend trip.

[mygr8crew]

Well, it depends on what we are buying or doing.

I might ask the kids where they want to go out to eat, but hey, four kids, four different places, doesn't work. So I make the ultimate decision.

I ask the kids if they have any requests before I go get groceries and I take those into consideration. I may or may not get something, based on the budget, item, etc.

I don't ususally clothes shop without their input. They have to wear the clothes. But, I get final say in suitability.

My daughter picked the paint colors out for her room. I get to pick the kind of dishwasher we get when I finally decide to buy one. Sure, I am the parent and I have the final say, but that doesn't mean I can't listen to them. I think I have been able to find a pretty good balance and they don't seem to be too self-entitled.

[eparn]

Sure, if it is something my daughter has an interest in and is something that is truly negotiable, why not let her have a say? She's a person, too.

I absolutely agree with this. There's enough in life that they "have" to do. Learning to evaluate options and make smart choices is part of the growing up/learning process too, right?

[vengholm]

Sure, if it is something my daughter has an interest in and is something that is truly negotiable, why not let her have a say? She's a person, too.

I absolutely agree with this. There's enough in life that they "have" to do. Learning to evaluate options and make smart choices is part of the growing up/learning process too, right?

That's kind of where we're at. I could never do the authoritarian thing. And anyway, I want them to learn how to make responsible choices, and I don't know how to teach them that if I just make the choice for them.

Keep in mind, McDonald's is not a choice. Chicken or fish? Which vegetable? The absence of vegetable is not a choice.

We even included Marc's opinion when we bought this house and then we told him to pick out a wall color. Someday, he's going to be living on his own, and he'll have had plenty of practice making responsible decisions!

[mighty]

Here's the conversation I had many times with my kids when they were school age, and we were walking into a store:

Mom: Remember, good boys will get a treat and bad boys will get nothing.

Boys: Define "good."

Mom: "Good" means you don't ask me to buy you anything, you don't whine, and you stay in the cart or by my side.

Boys: Now define "treat."

Mom: Baseball cards.

Worked for me. I haven't read the study mentioned, but I do agree that kids need to be able to make age-appropriate choices. Does that mean they get to choose where we go on vacation? (Vacation? What's a vacation?). No, but we listen to their input. Final choice (and options to chooose from) come from Mom and Dad.