Disclaimer: This article was written with the help of A.I. software.
The term “spoiled child” is often thrown around, but what does it really mean? According to Dr. Denitrea Vaughan, Psy.D., LPC, a Texas-based supervisor with Thriveworks, “‘Spoiled,’ as in a ‘spoiled child,’ can be defined as characteristics of excessive self-centered and immature behaviors due to a lack of age-appropriate boundaries being set by parents.” Although parents generally don’t intend to “spoil” a child, certain parenting strategies—often born from well-meaning intentions or a reflection of how they were raised—can lead to this outcome. The consequences are far-reaching, with specific traits often carrying over into adulthood, impacting both workplace dynamics and personal relationships.
What ‘Spoiling a Child’ Entails (and Doesn’t)
Parenting styles have significantly evolved over the years. Today, “punishments” like timeouts have fallen out of favor, while approaches that help children work through their feelings are more popular. This shift, however, has led to some misconceptions about what it means to spoil a child. Dr. Melissa Klosk, Psy.D., a psychologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between authoritative and permissive parenting.