Question
I have a 5 year old stepson. My husband and I really try to limit the number of new toys he gets. Including gifts from family, he gets a handful of new toys at the holidays and for his birthday. It is a rare treat when we are out that we let him select a toy to buy. He rarely asks us to buy him toys. His mother's house is the complete opposite situation. Not only does he receive an excessive amount of gifts for holidays/birthdays, his mother buys him a new toy or two almost every single weekend, and it is getting worse. Though he seems to get that we aren't going to continually buy him things and thus doesn't ask, he often talks about his new toys that Mommy bought or what else he wants Mommy to buy him. We have talked to him about concepts like gratitude and he understands that toys cost money, and that you work to get money. As the onslaught of material goods is likely to continue, any ideas for what we can do in our house? Is there any good defense to excessive spoiling by the mother? We've gotten nowhere in trying to discuss this with her, and have stopped bringing it up because it only exacerbated the problem. He is a sweet, well mannered child- not a brat (yet). Any ideas you have would be appreciated.
