新视野大学英语第二版第二册课文翻译Unit5-SectionB.pdfVIP

Unit 5 Section B Stop Spoiling Your Children While traveling for various speaking appointments, I frequently stay overnight in the home of a family and am assigned to one of the childrens bedrooms. In it, I often find so many toys that theres almost no room— even for my small lavatory or toilet kit. And the closet is usually so tightly packed with clothes that I can barely squeeze in my jacket. Im not complaining, only making a point. I think the tendency to give children too many toys and clothes is quite common in American families. I think in far too many families not only do children come to take their parents generosity for granted, but also the effects of this can actually be somewhat harmful to children. Why do parents give their children too much, or give them things they cant afford? I believe there are several reasons. One fairly common reason is that parents spoil their children out of a sense of guilt. Parents who both hold down full-time jobs may feel guilty about the amount of time they spend away from their children and, as accommodation for being away so much, may attempt to compensate by showering them with material possessions. Other parents provide too much because they want their children to have everything they had while growing up, along with those things they pined for but didnt get. Still others are afraid to say no to their childrens endless requests for toys for fear that their children will infer they are unloved or will be made fun of if they dont obtain the same toys as their friends have. Spoiling a child also happens when parents are unable to stand up to their childrens unreasonable demands. Such parents fluctuate between saying no and giving in— but neither response seems satisfactory to them. If they refuse a request, they immediately feel a wave of regret for having been so strict or u