A child psychologist shares the 5 signs you’ve raised a ‘highly spoiled’ kid—and how parents can ‘undo’ it

The first step is to identify the signs of a spoiled child. Here are the most common red flags:

1. Not taking “no” for an answer: Your kid expects to get things their way and usually does. In fact, they’re the ones constantly telling you “no.”
2. Being more into receiving than giving: Spoiled kids are unappreciative of what you do for them. Instead of saying “please” and “thank you,” their go-to word is “gimme.”
3. Demanding things ASAP: They don’t consider that other people may be inconvenienced by their requests, and expect you to set your priorities aside and cater to them.
4. Only thinking about themselves: They feel entitled and expect special favors. If another kid in class gets an MVP sticker, they get upset and say: “I deserve it more!”
5. Never satisfied with what they have: They’re used to having all the toys in the world, but it’s never enough. They always want more, more, more.

Since spoiled attitudes are learned, they can be unlearned. Just don’t expect your child to appreciate your new parenting style. They’ll likely be resistant at first, so take things slow and don’t give in:

1. Say “no” without guilt.

Parents often believe that saying “no” decreases self-esteem, but research shows that kids who are raised with structure and less-permissive parenting have higher self-worth and feel more empathy towards others.

When you say “no,” give a short reason to help them understand why: “Homework comes before playtime. This way, you can have fun without worry,” or, “No playtime today because you have a cough and may be contagious. We don’t want your friends to get sick.”

2. Praise the right things.

If your kid is addicted to praise, try praising them when they do something for — or with — another person.

For example: “You and your classmate did such a great job on that science fair project,” or, “Giving your old Lego set to the toy drive was very thoughtful. I love your kind…