AVOID THESE PITFALLS

Most parents don’t intend to raise an entitled child, yet it can happen so easily in today’s me-centric social media culture.

Entitlement isn’t just about giving your child too much. It can also be bred in more subtle ways, or even by accident. Here are three things to look out for:

1 ALLOWING YOUR KIDS TO INTERRUPT It happens easily with young kids, but at some point they need to understand it’s unacceptable. It’s important for them to learn to wait their turn because kids who don’t learn to respect other people’s time, conversations or physical space are getting the message “the world revolves around you.”

If you’ve already explained why it’s bad manners to interrupt and the message just doesn’t sink in, try this tip – come up with a signal your child can use when you’re in the middle of another conversation. Maybe they could put their hand on your arm to show they have something to say, then you can put your hand on theirs to let them know you’ve acknowledged them and will give them a turn soon.

2 NOT INSISTING ON “PLEASE” AND “THANK YOU” Making sure kids say please and thank you for both big and small things teaches gratitude. Lead by example – make a point of thanking your spouse or child for something every day.

3 BENDING THE RULES If you let your kids break rules often, whether it’s minor stuff such as not kicking a ball indoors, or a big one such as not being home when they’re supposed to, it teaches disrespect for authority.

It’s about more than whatever the rule is – it’s about not letting your children think that some rules don’t apply to them.