Has this ever happened to you?

--You walk into the grocery store with your little angel by your side. She asks if she may please have a box of Starry Fish Gummy Fruit Snacks, and when you say, "Not today honey," your princess transforms into a screaming, raging beast, stomping her foot, shrieking loudly, accompanied by fake sobs. Spectators look on, wondering how you could be so cruel.

--You take your children to visit their 97 year old Great Aunt Thelma. She is bedridden in a nursing home, and just as soon as she appropriately pinches both their cheeks, they simultaneously chime "What'd ya get us?"

--Your teenage daughter has three dressers in her room. Her closet is overflowing and she has overtaken the closet in the guest bedroom. It's time for school. You ask what is taking so long for her to get ready. She replies "It's just not fair. I don't have any clothes."

--You scour the stores at Christmas looking for a Go-Go Rabbit Power Hero - the toy of the year - for your seven year old son. After waiting in line for eight hours, you are pushed out of the way by a throng of desperate parents. Finally exhausting all other options, you pay $200 for one on eBay. On Christmas morning, your son opens his package and promptly tosses it aside. "I wanted to red one," he complains.

--Your children have boxes and boxes of toys laying about their room that they don't play with. Yet every time they find themselves in a store, they whine and moan about how they "Never get anything" and how "We don't have anything nice to play with".

Does any of this sound familiar?

Your children may be suffering from a common affliction know as: The Gimmes.

This disorder is brought on by having Too Much. It rears its ugly head at the most inopportune times, usually in front of family members or the general public, causing a second-hand effect of acute embarrassment for the parent.

Never fear! There is a cure!

The only cure for The Gimmes is Less.

Yes, that's right; in this case, Less is More.

Clean Out Your Children's Room

Get rid of 75-90% of their toys and clothes. In addition for providing relief to The Gimmes, you will notice a remarkable difference in the cleanliness of said room and your children will experience an increased desire to play with the remaining toys. All this, because they can finally find them!

Don't Buy Off-Season

Stop purchasing little toys and trinkets for your children between holidays. Give your children a small allowance instead, and make it clear that they are responsible for buying these items. The Gimmes clear up quickly when a child needs to spend his own money!

Purchase Less on Holidays

Keep your holiday gift giving simple. Only purchase 1-3 items per child for each gift giving occasion. Children become over-stimulated when presented with too many options, and receiving gifts is no exception. Between the gifts you give and the ones friends and family members give your child, it is easy for a child to confuse the gift itself with the thrill of getting. This is the root cause of The Gimmes.

Your family can overcome this. Your child can become a respectable, caring individual who doesn't place his needs above everyone else's. You can beat this disease. We're all rooting for you!