At Horizon Education Centers we work with children from toddlers to tweens and our discounted Toddler Care Program teaches self-help and social skills than will be of great benefit to your child.
We know that most parents don't want to hear it when someone states that they think their child is spoiled. While someone may call a child spoiled without really knowing if this is true, as a parent, you know that your child isn’t as well behaved as they could be. If your child whines often, tends to be very demanding, or continues to throw temper tantrums well past the "terrible twos," this could be an indication that they may need more guidance from you on how to behave.
PsychCentral asks "Is Your Child Acting Spoiled?" and advises that you "know what you can and should expect from your child at any given stage of development." This can help you decided whether or not your child's behavior is a red flag or if it’s something you shouldn’t be too concerned about. You can consult your pediatrician and ask other parents about their children but in the end you’ll have to trust your own instincts. It helps to remember that adults differ in their expectations and understanding of childhood behavior.
Harvey Karp, MD, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the UCLA School of Medicine, categorizes questionable and possibly problematic toddler behavior the using the colors of a traffic sign:
Green Light: These are the behaviors that you want to actively encourage. It helps to start them on the path towards good habits early.
Yellow Light: There will be behaviors that you know aren’t necessarily wrong, but you may want to caution your child about continuing these types of habits.
Red Light: These are the behaviors that you know should not continue and may need your intervention to stop by modeling, time outs, and removing toys. Practicing the proper behavior for these “melt down” situations may be helpful to modify these red light behaviors.
