Dear LFTP: kids, toy commercials, and materialism
- How can I teach my kids Christmas is about giving when they're inundated with toy commercials?
A listener writes that her kids are already demanding Christmas presents because their channels are cluttered with toy commercials; she wants Christmas to be about giving and joy, not loot. The Secular persona answers that the parent's job is to teach their values: limit TV exposure, set gift boundaries (one main gift, wish-list limits), and change the conversation. The hosts largely agree with Secular — rare, they note. A host argues the parent is the filter: stop letting them watch the commercials, and say no joyfully — he demonstrates his 'magic hand' trick for telling his 10-year-old no so it lands as a joke rather than harshness. He shares how his kids picked up narcissistic entitlement from watching YouTubers narrate their own video-game play, and how the attitude vanished completely after a two-week break. Crystal suggests having kids give away old toys (Toys for Tots) before Christmas. The hosts add grace for young kids: a five-year-old only sees past their own hands; expect real change around eight to ten.
More on Parenting
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Dear LFTP: Champ the untrained dog and holding boundaries with your son
- How do I handle my son bringing his untrained dog Champ on our weekend grandson visits?
Mike reads the second letter: the writer hosts weekend grandson visits where her son Dennis brings Champ, an untrained destructive puppy that runs wild, barks, and digs.
From No. 586 · Nothing Personal
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Dear LFTP: wife mocks husband's bladder problem in public
- How should I respond when my wife mocks me and my bladder problem in public?
Mike reads a letter from a man married three years whose wife calls him vulgar names in public and makes his bladder-control problem into comedy.
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Dear LFTP: the birthday invitations
- Should parents be allowed to send birthday invitations to school when only select students are invited?
Mike reads the second letter: the parent of a special-needs pre-K child saw a Facebook group post exposing that her daughter was excluded from a birthday party.
From No. 574 · Starring Ted Danson as Joab
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Dear LFTP: Cindy's baby name ideas
- What should I do about my friend's terrible baby name choices?
Mike reads a letter from Dave about his longtime friend Cindy, six months pregnant, who keeps proposing names like chlamydia, bidet, chalet, and cliche because they sound pretty regardless of meaning.