Why do many British parents try to solve their kids behavior problems by buying them designer clothes toys and electronic gadgetry? The answer is that they feel under enormous pressure from the advertising heaped on them daily through every medium and that they want to make up for the lost prime time with them by buying them these goods. They are the perfect bait for the advertisers and publicity campaigners who must be laughing all the way to the bank.
The UNICEF has cast a rather a cold eye on British parenting when they did a survey on the happiness of their children about three years ago. The fact is that British children are not happy at all and they come in at the bottom of the league table when compared to kids in about 20 other industrialized countries.
One of the problems which is closely related to kids behavior problems is the fact that the British parents seem to be working longer hours than their European counterparts and that means spending less prime time with their kids. Secondly the household tasks and parenting duties are not shared so equally as say in Scandinavia.
The kids themselves were in no doubt as to what would make up their happiness and well being. They ranked prime time with their parents and friends in the number one slot while green time activities and plenty of activities to go with them were second on the list. The did not mention material consumer goods which is interesting.
In Spain, the use of the extended family in parenting duties seems to solve many of the kids behavior problems there and there is also less consumerist pressure there too, like in Scandinavia.
Sweden has taken an important step in limiting advertising on all TV programs which are suitable for under twelves. That is a constructive step they have taken in trying to solve kids behavior problems.