Nearly half of Russians link spoiled children to material compensation for a lack of attention

What the survey showed

Nearly half of Russians — 47.5% — believe that parents' attempts to materially compensate for a lack of time and personal contact lead to spoiled children. These are the findings of a survey by Ingosstrakh and the Be Healthy clinic chain, conducted jointly with the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation; the results of the study were obtained by Gazeta.Ru. The remaining answers were distributed differently: 26.4% of participants cited a lack of authority figures as the cause, while 25.1% cited overprotective parenting. More than 6,000 people from 37 regions took part in the survey.

A psychologist's commentary

Clinical psychologist Olga Umanova of the Be Healthy — Nakhabino center told the publication that expensive purchases and permissiveness can become a way to muffle feelings of guilt over a lack of communication with a child, yet they do not replace emotional closeness. In her observation, busy adults sometimes try to make up for their absence with gadgets, expensive things, or by lifting restrictions, but the child may still lack a close person they can trust.

What experts recommend

“The task of adults is not to fight external symptoms (banning things, lecturing), but to build secure attachment, teach emotional regulation skills, and honestly share their time, not just their money,” Umanova noted. She also urged people not to project stereotypes onto an entire generation: according to the psychologist, teenagers need support, clear guidance, and the opportunity to discuss difficulties with adults.