I want my kids to be resistant to marketing. -Katie Kimball

Digital advertising spending aimed at kids is expected to reach 1.7 billion dollars this year, increasing 42% from 3 years ago.

In 2006 young people were estimated to see more than 40,000 ads per year…do your kids have the armor they need to protect them from the onslaught of untruths coming at them???

Today we’ll talk about 3 ways to train kids to be marketing-proof and how to create a family culture they’ll remember.

  • Train your kids to be skeptical of advertising
  • How do you discover the truth to make informed purchases?
  • Using marketing tactics to your advantage in building your family culture and setting boundaries

This is just the tip of the iceberg, but it’s never too late to start teaching your kids about advertising and raising “marketing proof” adults. 

Can’t see the video? Watch teaching your kids about advertising here on YouTube.

No time for the video? Here are the notes!

Teaching Your Kids About Advertising

 

  • 0:00: If you are a child of the 80s you’ll likely remember this ad and understand how sticky marketing is. Marketing is designed to be remembered. 

Marketing is designed to dig into our minds and impact our decisions. -Katie Kimball

  • 1:12: Billions of dollars are spent each year advertising towards kids. I want my kids to be marketing-proof. I want them to understand that ads are trying to manipulate and sell. 
  • 2:00: Today we’re going to talk about how we can start teaching our kids about advertising. 
  • 2:23: If you look at old ads from the 1940s or 1950s, they seem ridiculous to us now! You can find soda pop ads recommending it for babies and cigarette ads endorsed by doctors. 
vintage soda ad Image source: https://missgingertulips.wordpress.com/

Be Skeptical of Marketing Claims

  • 3:29: People who sell stuff want to make money. Of course, they’re going to make the product appealing and tout its benefits. Commercials don’t present a pros and cons list to help you make a logical decision. 

  • 4:39: Adjust your language per the age of your child. As they get into upper elementary they can dissect the language used in ads and see where it’s being dishonest. I give a brief example of questions to ask.

We need to teach our kids to be a bit skeptical and understand the intent of marketing. -Katie Kimball

  • 6:22: Bonus on this tip: make sure you’re seeing advertising together with your kids. 

Questions to Ask About Marketing

  • 7:22: Always ask more questions. Particularly when it comes to food products, we never trust the front of the package, always always always check the nutrition labels and ingredients. How much sugar is in the product? What types of fat does it have?
  • 8:43: This goes for cleaners and personal care products as well. Examine what the marketing says vs what the ingredient list says. 

Train your kids to think "I am a person who knows what is in my food." -Katie Kimball

Use Advertising to Your Advantage

  • 9:37: We need to be good marketers. Use short simple phrases and constant repetition to market your own family culture to your kids. We have a family motto that we repeat often to our kids. 

Kids don’t need plastic knives. They need real skills.

Teach safe technique, focus, and confidence in the all-time fav lesson from our kids cooking class! (ages 2-12)






Or find out more about the free knife class here.

  • 11:42: You can have specific slogans for certain places or circumstances. For example, we say you must “finish your firsts before you have seconds” at the table. Our kids say “it’s not my favorite” rather than ewww or gross. Whatever you want your kids to hold dear, use a little phrase, rhyme, or jingle that you can repeat. 
  • 13:01: At Kids Cook Real Food™, we particularly don’t want our kids drawn in by marketing trying to sell them unhealthy processed food. 

Teaching kids about advertising

Resources to Teach Kids About Advertising

I’d love to hear what you do to teach your kids about marketing in the comments!