Q: It’s Thanksgiving, but I feel like my kids are anything but thankful. They have a staggering sense of entitlement. How can I combat this?

Jim: The answer depends on your kids’ ages. Preschoolers are too young to grasp ideas like unselfishness and gratitude. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to teach these concepts, but don’t be overly concerned if your young children haven’t caught on quite yet.

Older kids are another matter. This is where many parents come face-to-face with the impact of our materialistic, consumer-driven culture. Advertisers and toy manufacturers aren’t in the business of helping parents teach contentment and thankfulness. From their perspective, children are a lucrative sector of the “market,” and they design their publicity campaigns accordingly. As a result, children are conditioned to believe that they’re entitled to have everything they want -- right now!