Many parents ask themselves this question: “Am I spoiling my child?” To be honest, it is a fair question to ask. Some may simply be overthinking a situation, and others may be enabling their child and giving them all the power in their household. For the purpose of this article, “spoiled” is any situation where the child is in control and a parent or guardian is not.
Keep in mind, a parent who loves their child emotionally is not the same as over-indulging them. We have all seen that one child in the grocery store who throws a tantrum, falls on the floor and flails about when they don’t get what they want. This is normal for children – they have a tendency of trying out different techniques to see which one gets them what they want.
How to Spot a Spoiled Child
Coming back to our definition of a spoiled child, if the child is the “master” of a household. Keep in mind, emotional outbursts are normal for children (and adults too)! But it is very important that they learn to sit with their negative emotions and not take them out on people around them.
Do they get everything they want, even if it isn’t good for them?
For example, a child may want to stay up late on a school night and throw a tantrum if their parents disagree with them. The parents may give in, let the child stay up until 11 or midnight, and be miserable the whole next day because they didn’t get enough sleep.
Do they experience consequences if they break a rule in the household?
If a child breaks a rule at home, are they punished for it? Or do the parents “let it slide.” This can cause some serious boundary issues with their peers in the future!
Do they play well with others?
Do they share their toys with their peers, or let them have a turn on the swing? If not, they are still very “me” centered and haven’t grasped the concept that others have feelings too.
Do they say “please” and “thank you?”
Do they have manners? Do they constantly say things like, “I need,” or “I want” and say, “May I please,” less? There is a difference between a request and a demand, and a child knowing the difference makes for a polite child indeed!
Are they helpful?
Do they help mommy and daddy around the house? Do they help their peers and/or teachers? Again, this points to whether or not a child has or lacks compassion.
Do they talk to their parents like a peer, or like an adult?
Coming back to the first example, if a child is the master or boss of their parents, they are going to talk to them like equals. The thing is this though: parents are not supposed to be their child’s peers: they are SUPPOSED to be the parents! This may mean upsetting their child from time to time.
In summary, spotting a spoiled child is easy – changing the behaviour takes time, energy and patience. After all, they learned how to get what they want via their behaviour which was molded by how their parents reacted to that behaviour. Taking the time to react differently will not only be beneficial for the child, but also for the parents as well – both in the short and long term!
About Little Human Scholars School in PJ
Little Human Scholars is an all-in-one childcare solution. It is a preschool, playschool, kindergarten, nursery and full day daycare centre (with extended hours) located in the heart of PJ.
In fact, the location is one of the things which makes Little Human Scholars so sought after – it is conveniently nestled near Jalan Gasing, University hospital, PJ Old town, PJ New town, Jaya One, Jaya33, and the PJ IT Mall.
The best part is LHS has premiere services many other schools in PJ don’t offer such as full day daycare with extended hours, CCTV access for parents, and a nifty little phone app called Toddlytic which provides parents with automatic updates on their child’s development, behaviour and health checks.
With full-time guards always present at each of their locations, access to CCTV (which is in every room except the office, bathroom and kitchen areas), and very strict pick-up and drop-off rules, Little Human Scholars treats every child who walks into its hallways as one of their own children!
This place has it all: location, safety, health, IGSCE curriculum and play-based learning. What more could you ask for? Did I mention they also have transportation services and offer meal plans for students? It doesn’t get any better than that.
If you are interested in a tour of one of our centres (that’s right, there’s more than one), all you need to do is fill out the form here or call +6017-7303-025 and an LHS administrative staff will get back with you shortly!
Cheers,
Jana Moreno