by Susan Newman, Ph.D.
After returning from vacation, you open the refrigerator and realize you’ve left a half carton of milk. No problem. Simple solution for spoiled milk: You throw it out.
But what happens when you come face to face with your child who’s demanding the newest iPhone, iPad or movie concept toy? It seems “all the kids at school have them,” and suddenly the “crummy old piece of junk” your child absolutely had to have six months ago isn’t good enough anymore. Now it’s no longer the milk, but the child that’s spoiled.
Don’t despair. Although the fix is not quite as easy as pouring sour milk down the drain, there are steps you can, and should, take to turn things around. The good news for parents is that spoiled children can be un-spoiled.
Keeping Up With the Joneses