El rich kid syndrome It has nothing to do with the social class of your family. It is a syndrome related to children who have everything they ask for without any effort for his part. It affects both wealthy families and middle class families.
Parents often find themselves in the situation of not being able to spend as much time as they want with their children and they try to reward their children with material things. This far from being good has many negative consequences for the children that we will comment on.
What is rich kid syndrome?
It is a syndrome that although it is not registered within the clinical diagnoses, it has been used in recent years. Describe to spoiled children who have everything, without appreciating the value of things or their responsibility. Children who believe they have the right to everything. They just have to ask for something to get it.
This is caused by parents who are unaware of the consequences of their actions with their children. Either by giving them what they lacked, to make up for emotional deficiencies, they cover their children with gifts and prizes to keep them happy or to avoid tantrums. This it gives rise to unhappy, irresponsible, low self-esteem, unmotivated, rebellious and nonconformist children.
Parents encourage this syndrome, but it is never too late to change these behaviors with our children for their mental well-being. This syndrome can generate in severe emotional development problems In the kids.
What Kind of Parenting Encourages Rich Kid Syndrome?
There are early signs that can help us detect if our child is affected by a type of parenting that can lead to this syndrome:
- You buy her expensive gifts without it being a special date.
- If you reward him with something material when he does something good or to calm his tantrums.
- You sacrifice family expenses to fulfill their wishes.
- If you watch TV more than 2 hours a day. Too much freedom does not make them better or happier. Children need routines and rules.
- Is enrolled in various extracurricular activities even if the child has not requested it. It can cause stress in children who do not know how to drive because of their young age. Children need to find out for themselves what their tastes are and what activities they would like to go to.
How do I know if my child has rich kid syndrome?
In children we can detect several signs that can help us identify it:
- The child is often bored. We hear him say that he gets bored often despite having a room full of toys.
- Do not face their own problems, because they know that Mom and Dad will come to solve them.
- He has a low tolerance for frustration as he believes he deserves everything just by asking.
- They are irresponsible and do not accept the consequences of their actions.
- In adolescents, they can resort to risky behaviors such as drug and alcohol use.
- They seem unhappy, with high levels of stress and anxiety.
How can it be prevented?
Children have needs and wants. And they must learn that not everything they want has to be a necessity. Coping with frustrations that this entails will make them understand that not everything goes, that wanting it is not enough to have it, that things are worth money and effort, and accept that you can't always have what you want. This will provide them with values that are worth more than all the gifts in the world.
To achieve this we can assign them responsibilities at home from a young age without rewarding them for it, letting them face their own problems and mistakes, and maintaining rules and limits at home. You can read our article on how to teach your child to collaborate at home.
They must learn from a very young age that things cost money and effort to achieve. That is the real world that they will have to face and not a gift world.
Why do you remember ... A child does not need to have everything (whatever he asks for) to be happy.