How Not to Raise an Entitled Child

Key points

Lack of limits is frequently the culprit when it comes to kids developing a sense of entitlement.

It's the limits that help kids learn to accept that they can't have everything they want.

Learning to be a loving limit-setter entails tolerating your child's vehement protests and guilt trips.

Parents who come to see me are often concerned that they're raising an entitled child. They are demanding of all things and all attention . They can't take no for an answer. It's a real concern.

As I guide parents through the detective work in finding the root cause of the unwanted behavior, almost always the key culprit is a lack of limits. The kids who need limits the most are those who make it hardest for their parents to set. These limits can set off reactions: "It's your sister's