UNITED STATES—Let me ask you a question, how would you define a brat? Would you call it someone who is annoying? Someone who always gets his or her way? Someone who whines or complains until they get what they want? You can make the argument that each of those statements have some sort of valid claims, but what about an entitled brat?
I was recently watching the news and someone brought up an excellent point about children, teens and young adults nowadays, they are spoiled rotten, and so much to the point that they have not only made it known they are brats, they indulge in it. They act like its ok to be a brat and to brag and make it known that they tend to get whatever they want. So the question at hand is how do you change that?
There is a way, teach tough love. It literally astonishes me how much parents are willing to compromise with a child to prevent them from throwing a fit. This is a major problem America, because you’re only sweeping the problem under the rug, and at the same time you’re giving your child the impression that if he or she throws a fit, they will indeed get what they want. We have to stop this now; we have to be parents and not friends. I never understood that analogy of parents doing all in their power to be ‘friends’ to their children than actual ‘parents.’
You can be friendly to your child, but you don’t want to build a bond where they view you only as a friend. If that is the case, they don’t respect you and then you run into a situation where when you attempt to discipline them they do not take you seriously. This also applies to giving them the impression that anything they want in the world will be served to them on a silver platter. That might happen to a slim margin for some Americans, but most of us have to work tooth and nail to get the things we want in life.
If kids, teens and young adults have the impression I don’t have to do much, but point and ask, and I’ll get whatever I want it sets a really bad example. Why? They will lack empathy; they won’t understand what it means to walk in the shoes of others, those who have very little if nothing at all. It’s also important not to give your kids, teens and young adults whatever they want because it does not teach them how to fight adversity.
Yes, that is indeed a loaded word, but if a child is not taught how to overcome adversity they will crumble when it is actually presented to them. Having to fight for something or realizing how to overcome something when it doesn’t go your way helps a person to realize the inner strength or fight that they have within themselves. It teaches a person that things will not always go your way and just because an obstacle is presented in front of you does not mean it’s something you cannot overcome or accomplish.
I don’t like the word brat, but sometimes the label fights when a person is acting like an entitled brat; someone who thinks he or she should get what they want, when they want it. Unfortunately, life does not fully operate like that for everyone. You have to fight adversity to overcome it and if you allow your kid, teen or young adult to think life will be delivered to them without any obstacle or fight; it’s never a good sign people. Not one single bit, do not create brats stop them from being formed.
Written By Kelsey Thomas
