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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I feel sad and concerned and I need suggestions.  DS does not feel gratitude.  Today is a perfect example.  It's his birthday.  We spend the day together and he does pretty much what he wants.  It was a nice day ( not spending money, etc).  Family birthday dinner tonight.  Nice time, he is excited.  Birthday present time; DD gives him a nice small toy.  DH and I give him a tool and grandma gives him a night at a KenCen event with her.  I did not expect him to show excitement about KenCen, but I know he will enjoy it when he goes.
Down to watch a movie he has been askng to see for a while.  Days knows he can't watch whole thing tonight.
Time to turn off tv and he is an immediate crabby-ass.  Tucked into bed and he begins talking about his lousy gifts/haws theater/ friends get huge 1200 gifts, etc.
This is not the first time he is so obviously ungrateful.  It is ALWAYs this way.  We do not live in a "consuming community" at all.  He is not always around "kids who have everything".  I am so sick of it and I don't know how to teach gratitude any longer.  I need suggestions.  dS is 12.[/quote]

"If you don't like your gifts, I'd be happy to take them back."

Your kid is "always this way" because you have allowed him to act this way.  So stop.  Make him volunteer to help the less-fortunate (as suggested by PPs above), but that's not enough.  You need to ban the bratty attitude from your house.  12 is plenty old to understand the difference between polite and rude.  If he's disappointed, he can express that in a way that isn't disparaging of the people who celebrated his birthday, or the gifts they gave.

I understand that kids at that age can be all about themselves, but that only means you have to actually parent them so they'll learn to be otherwise.  No excuses, OP.  [/quote]

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