The Spoiled Child Syndrome

Writen by Helene Rothschild

Were you an only child, or the first or last offspring who received a lot of attention from many family members? Or did you have a professional nanny to take care of you? Did you get everything you wanted whenever you wanted it? Do you believe that everything is coming to you and everyone should put their needs aside for you to be pleased?

If you are, you may be suffering from the spoiled child syndrome. As a Marriage, Family, Child Therapist for many years, I noticed that the clients who were spoiled had a very difficult time in their lives. They had inadequate people and coping skills. Unfortunately, without that being their intent, the parents did not prepare them for life.

Generally speaking, I found them to be emotionally weak and lacking self confidence; especially if their parent or parents gave them all they needed and wanted even in their adult life. They were not taught to be considerate of others and did not understand what was wrong and how to fix the problem.

The scenario was something like this. When they went to school and had to deal with other people beyond their family, they had a rude awakening. It was strange to them that others would not cater to them. In fact, their self centered behavior caused them rejection and shook their self-esteem.

Of course it affected all of their relationships, including their romantic ones. They often tried to numb their resulting pain and loneliness with addictions—workaholic, overeating, drugs, tobacco, or alcohol.

If you relate to this syndrome, here is some help.

1. Realize that you are special and so is everyone.

2. Know that we are all equally important and deserve to be heard and considered.

3. Express what you would prefer (avoid demands) and ask the other person(s) what they would like.

4. Honor other people's beliefs and desires.

5. Look to complement others.

6. Be generous with your time, energy and things.

7. Be considerate of others needs and wants.

8. Make sure that there are win-win solutions.

With these healthy goals in mind, you can overcome the spoiled child syndrome and experience joy and success.

©2006 by Helene Rothschild, MS, MA, MFT, is a Marriage, Family Therapist, intuitive counselor, author, teacher, and speaker. Her latest book is, "ALL YOU NEED IS HART! Create Love, Joy, and Abundance-NOW!" A Unique Guide to Holistic And Rapid Transformation. She offers international phone sessions, teleclasses, workshops, independent studies, books, e-books, MP3 audios, posters, articles, and a free newsletter. http://www.lovetopeace.com, 1-888-639-6390.

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