Just the other day, my eight year old daughter was trying her best to convince me that it was a good idea to get her a smart watch. —Now don’t get me wrong, I really think a smart watch is a terrific first mobile device for a child or tween!— In the case of my daughter, I don’t see a big enough need, just yet, to justify getting her a smart watch. I also have concerns with the habits my daughter may develop if she were to get a smart watch at this stage in her life.
Needless to say, my daughter was quite unhappy with me when I told her I wouldn’t be getting her a smart watch anytime soon. Though my daughter complained and was upset with my decision to not get her a smart watch, I could see there was a lot of value in having her wait.
Delayed Gratification
In our digital world we easily get impatient. No other time in history has mankind had access to so much so quickly.
My six year old daughter has a book called, Waiting is Not Easy. In this book, the main character comically complains about needing to wait for a “surprise.” After waiting for several hours, the surprise finally comes. In the end, the awe and wonder of the surprise causes the main character to exclaim, “That was worth the wait!”
So what happens when we have to wait for something we want?
We tend to value it more.
In life, we tend to find greater appreciation for the wonder and pleasures of life when there is a period of time we need to wait to see or experience them. This waiting period tends to cause us to value the thing or experience we desire more. Or the thing we desire will fall out of importance in our lives. Not only does this waiting period crystalize value, it also helps teach the life skill of delaying gratification, aka patience.
Because my daughter will need to wait for a period of time before getting a smart-watch, I’m confident that the value and appreciation she will have for the watch will be greater than if she received the watch as soon as she realized she wanted one. I’m also grateful for the opportunity this affords my daughter to practice patience.
Waiting is not always a bad thing. Often, the need to wait becomes an excellent teacher.
Photo by Suzanne D. Williams on Unsplash
Waiting is Not Easy: children’s book by Mo Willems