7 ways parents harm their children without even realizing it

4. Guilty gifts.

In our culture (I’m writing from an American perspective), we’ve developed a bad habit of buying our kids’ affection with gifts. When we’ve made a mistake or had to work late, we’re much more likely to repay the relational debt with money. This cycle can teach our kids to be materialistic and to see love as a transactional relationship which can be manipulated by money. We all know (or should know) that real love is something much more valuable than that.

#5 can hurt your kids AND your marriage…