Help! My child is a brat!

This situation may sound familiar - you are a busymore and more demanding, expecting to always get
executive, or a working single mom, or simply a parenttheir way, and even picking fights with other children.
that is busy with the demands of life. Maybe you feelBut if you allow the child to carry this attitude into their
guilty because you don't spend as much time with youradult life, they will usually end up as a person that is
child as you think you should. Whatever the reasonsunable to function appropriately in the normal give and
are, you've developed the habits of a permissivetake that health relationships (and society in general)
parent.require. Other people will resent them for wanting
A permissive parent over indulges a child, caves in tomore than their fair share. They may find they are
whatever the child wants, and tries to buy or bribe tohaving difficulties not just with personal relationships, but
get good behavior. Many parents often start thisalso in professional work-related relationships.
behavior justifying it as wanting to give their child all theTaking the time to learn about the different styles of
best things in life. Unfortunately, these indulgences beginparenting, and ways to establish and maintain effective
to create an attitude of entitlement on the part of theboundaries will not only improve the quality of your
child, which sets them up for becoming a "brat".relationship now, but will prepare your child to have
This attitude often presents itself by children becominghealthy adult relationships as well.