Spoiled Kids

Boy in Movie: You have your own McDonald's! No way!

Narrator: Most American kids don't have it this good, but pretty close.

Brett: This is my Nintendo 64 with Wrestle Mania 2000.

Jessica: This is my phone, it's got speed dial.

Brett: This one's T-bone, costs like fifteen bucks.

Jessica: Radio, tape player, CD.

Narrator: By the way, all that stuff is not unusual. Many American children have much more. Most kids insist they're not indulged.

Girl 1: I don't think I'm not too spoiled because you know, I see my friends and I see them get so much stuff.

Brett: If you appreciate what you have, and you don't get all of it just from your parents, it's okay to have a lot of junk.

Narrator: Why do parents give their children so much? Because many of them can.

Toy Store Owner: People have money in their pocket and they love their children and they'll spend it on toys.

Narrator: This toy store owner is an expert.

Toy Store Owner: Naturally we don't try to stop them!

Narrator: A booming economy overworked, gift giving, guilt-giving parents, make sure Americans have some of the most indulged, pampered kids on earth.

Psychologist Jane: Parents are having trouble saying no, whether its "No, you can't go out that late" or "No, you can't have that Nintendo."

Narrator: Psychologist Jane Anunziata helps kids and parents cope with a fairly new problem, affluenza. Having too much and giving your child everything he wants.

Psychologist Jane: It's really part of a bigger problem, it isn't just about having too many things.

Narrator: Many people might assume Jane spoils her son Brett with his bedroom toy warehouse, but you might be surprised that Brett actually bought much of it himself.

Brett: I like getting money. Thirty-five bucks to mow a guy's lawn- I'm not gonna turn that down!

Narrator: And many seemingly spoiled kids really do understand the value of a buck.

Brett: It makes you think, how much do I want this? Is it worth two hundred dollars--of my own money?

Narrator: Some parents wonder if they want to spend two hundred thousand on each of their kids: that's about how much the government estimates it costs to raise a single child. Which is why nearly one out of five parents surveyed are deciding to just have one. Jane Anunziata has written a small library on that subject, and she says an only child often does get a lot more.

Psychologist Jane: It's easier for parents who only have one children [sic] to give too much to that child.

Narrator: Solution? How about an allowance?

Parent 1: I never got an allowance, so they're not going to get an allowance.

Narrator: Her children use birthday money in the parents' version of a home equity loan.

Parent 1: They say they always have money at home so I pay for it and never quite get it back.

Jessica: If I were spoiled, I'd definitely have a better computer.

Narrator: Jessica Port says that this well equipped teen home office isn't just handed to her, she earns it.

Jessica: I empty the dishwasher every other day, I trade off jobs with my brother, I fold all the laundry.

Narrator: Jessica's mom struggles with finding a balance between giving too much and not enough.

Jessica's Mother: I wanna give my children things that I did not have.

Narrator: Psychologists insist that this is the smartest way to help kids appreciate money: give them a budget, watch them learn how much things cost, insist they take some for savings, some for charity, and the rest for themselves.

Parent 2: It costs a dollar twenty-nine.

Narrator: But with all the toys, the trips, the lessons, the Barbies, the beanies, and the Batmans, can parents really resist the force not to spoil their kids? Some child psychologists think they should.

Psychologist Jane: They often have trouble in more peer relationships because they're so used to getting everything that they want.
(Song "Can't Buy Me Love" in background)

Narrator: But some parents sure do try. A record number of divorced moms and dads often replace lost time with toys or trips. Even two still married working parents worry they'll anger their child if they say no.

Jessica's Mother: We all want to be loved and accepted and it's much easier to say yes than to say no.

Psychologist Jane: What a child really wants much more than things is just time with the mom or dad.

Narrator: Keeping up with the neighbors is tough, especially if you cannot afford it. So many parents pile on credit card debt just to keep the kids happy, but most children realize that it's not helping their spoiled friends.

Jessica: I see the way they talk or answer their mom like who won't let them go somewhere or won't let them get something and I'm like, "Jeez, cool off, you know, your mom just spent like over a hundred dollars on you." You know, can't you let her go?

Narrator: Andy Field for ABC News, Washington.

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