One of the root causes of an entitlement mentality in kids is when parents smooth everything over for them. Experiencing natural consequences for forgotten gym shoes or homework is far better than rescuing them. They’ll remember next time if there’s a consequence, not if mom or dad runs the forgotten item up to school. Putting forth effort, coming in last, and not getting a medal just for participation builds resiliency to face life’s ups and downs.
When teens leave home and leave the security of a constant safety net, they’re ill-equipped to face the challenges of college life and beyond. This creates low self-esteem and the feeling that they can’t cope.
Combine this with the pressure of social media, where everyone posts pictures of a falsely wonderful reality, and the low self esteem can turn into hopelessness and despair, often with tragic results.
Parents, the best thing you can do for your child is to let them manage some of their own responsibilities, even if there are minor consequences. By the time they’re in middle school they should be responsible to get to school with a lunch (that they packed themselves), school work, and any extracurricular necessities (band instrument, cheer shoes, etc). Do not run to school and rescue them from something they failed to manage. They won’t learn to be self sufficient if there aren’t any consequences.
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