"But Everyone Has One"

"But all the other kids have it!" can be a refrain as annoying as it is effective. No parent, after all, wants her child to feel left out. Marketers know this too. "Commercials aimed at kids reinforce the message that, yes, everyone else does have one," says David Walsh, Ph.D., author of No: Why Kids-of All Ages-Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It. "Children can wield real economic power, especially with the 'nag factor,' and advertisers work this to their advantage."

Six- to 8-year-olds are particularly vulnerable to these appeals. "Peers are beginning to play an increasingly important role in your child's life," says Michele Borba, Ed.D., a Parents advisor and author of Building Moral Intelligence. "A school-age kid is starting to compare himself to his friends, and he wants to fit in with his classmates." Having the hot new toy, or wearing the same cool kicks as all the other kids in second grade, suddenly seems important. But so is helping your child feel comfortable expressing his individuality-and that of your family. Okay, everyone, can you say "balancing act?"