Children need just the right amount of attention from their parents. Give them too little, and their self-worth may suffer. Give them too much, and they likely end up being entitled brats who would throw a fit whenever they don’t get their way.
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A family of four experienced the latter after the mom badly spoiled her youngest daughter. The boiling point came when the child ruined her older brother’s 10th birthday celebration in multiple ways.
Her sibling, now all grown up, recounted the story, which had seemingly become a cruel core memory he would never forget.
A supposedly festive 10th birthday celebration for a boy turned into a cruel core memory he would relive years later
He recounted that awful day, sharing how his younger sister threw multiple fits while their mom condoned her behavior
Fortunately, his dad was there to side with him
Image credits: Kragle-Tom
Overindulging a child can create a mountain of problems when they grow older
For many parents, showing their children love means giving in to everything they want and condoning their behavior, even the wrong, inappropriate ones. What they may fail to realize is the long-term consequences of this type of parenting approach.
Former social and behavioral sciences professor David Bredehoft says spoiled kids may struggle particularly during the emerging adulthood phase between ages 18 and 25.
Bredehoft and his colleagues at Concordia University have been researching overindulged children since 1998, and found that their subjects had difficulty knowing what is enough and what is normal as adults.
According to him, some of the common statements he heard were “I have extreme difficulty making decisions,” “I need praise and material reward to feel worthy,” and “I have to buy gifts to be loved,” among others.
Brehedoft also noted other possible outcomes of overindulging children, including being stuck in the center of their own universe, a sense of learned helplessness, increased irresponsibility, and an overblown sense of entitlement, to name a few.
Part of a parent’s role is to guide their children through life and help them grow into sensible members of society. And Brehedoft’s number-one tip is to teach the value of responsibility through simple tasks.
“Require your children of any age to do chores. Chores teach valuable life skills that they will need to become a functioning adult,” he urges.
But based on the author’s account, his sister seemed to have carried her entitled brat ways as she grew up. If she hasn’t struggled yet, she will likely run into problems that hopefully wouldn’t be too serious.
The author provided more information in the comments
Some readers had more questions, while others shared similar experiences
The author later recalled another incident when her sister tried to play the victim
Image credits: Kragle-Tom
Readers didn’t hold back with their reactions
