Have An Entitled Child? Teach Them Some Basic Life Skills

As much as many parents hate to admit it, today’s kids can be pretty entitled. Here’s how Mamas can help turn this behaviour around.

Do you remember the days of dial-up internet? Fast forward to today, when everything is immediately available with the click of a mouse. Many Mamas didn’t have access to a mobile phone until secondary school, whereas these days it’s not uncommon for toddlers to watch videos on iPads. Times have changed, and naturally, so have our kids’ behaviours!

Many childern are born with a silver spoon in their mouths, coasting through life like it owes them something. So, how do parents prevent this from happening? Here are some basic life skills to teach entitled tots so they hopefully grow into adults with humility and integrity.

Establish A Reward System

Mamas, the best part about establishing an arcade rewards system with your kids is that you’re likely to find it fun too. Buy books and toys, and display them in a prominent part of our house. Then attach a sticker value to each item; for example, larger items require 10 stickers to redeem, while smaller ones can be earned with two stickers.

Your kids can receive stickers in a number of ways, such as by doing chores or a kind deed. The possibilities are endless! Your kids will learn to work hard to earn a reward, without expecting presents for no reason.

Read More: Toy Stores in Hong Kong — Where to Buy LEGO, Jellycat, Fidget Spinners and More

Assume Responsibility At Home

Involve your children in the upkeep of the house at an early age. Many kids are used to having domestic helpers take care of chores, and as such often don’t lift a finger to help. That has got to change! Even if you have a domestic helper, instill the habit in your children to do age-appropriate chores. This includes setting and clearing the table, making their beds in the morning, sorting out clean laundry and washing dishes. You can establish weekly chore rotations for sweeping, mopping and laundry. If you have pets at home, get your kids involved with walking and feeding.

Read more: Home Hacks — 6 Ways To Make Cleaning Fun For Your Kids

The Power Of Resilience

One key skill that kids should have? Resilience in the face of obstacles or challenges. To be honest, this applies to everyone really (naturally, Mamas have a head start!)

For example, imagine watching your little toddler struggle tying her shoelaces. It would be easier (and quicker too) to just do it for them, but resist the urge to intervene. It’s important to let our kids figure things out on their own, they will get there eventually!

Patience can be tough for Mamas; sometimes we need a gentle reminder to slow down and let our kids grapple with their problems instead of jumping in to resolve them for them. This also teaches our kids to face issues head-on, and not give up even if it takes a while to figure it out.

Read More: Raising Resilient Hong Kong Kids By Teaching Them Happiness

Getting Comfortable With Boredom

Kids today expect constant entertainment. Younger kids in particular have little capacity for occupying themselves, flitting between activities and toys, constantly looking for someone to play with. It’s important to let your kids be bored!

Give them toys to play with in the morning (you can choose a theme for the day just for the fun of it), and leave it to them to entertain themselves for the rest of the day. Sensory set-ups are great for enhancing imagination, giving kids the space to be curious and explore, while teaching them how to be self-sufficient.

Read More: 7 Messy Play Ideas — Get Your Kids’ Hands Dirty With Sensory Play

Taking ‘No’ For An Answer

It’s important to not let our kids get their way all the time, and this boils down to their ability to take ‘no’ for an answer. From a young age, help them understand that every question has a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response, and they should be prepared to receive either one. Trust us, this will help a lot, especially in their later years!

How To Show Others Kindness

While entitled kids think that the world revolves around them, it’s on us Mamas to impart empathy and make them realise that their actions impact those around them. Teach them to be kind to strangers on the street by holding doors open for others, helping with bags or simply offering a friendly smile.

Better still, why not volunteer as a family on the weekends? It’s a great family bonding activity too.

Read More: Family Volunteering — Teaching Kids To Give Back To Society

Fostering Good Manners And Social Skills

Manners are often taken for granted today. It’s common to see kids barely look up from their phones or iPads when relatives arrive, but for us, that’s a big no no! Ensure your child greets everyone with whom they interact with, and teach them to be liberal with pleases and thank yous. Table manners are a non-negotiable in our books as well.

Read More: Distracted Parents In The Age of Screens — How To Model Phone Behaviours For Kids

Taking Accountability

It’s natural to make mistakes, and more important how you deal with them afterwards that matters. Help your kids become comfortable with failure. Provide a safe space for your kids should they be facing any difficulties. Take the time to find out what happened, help them acknowledge what they did wrong and figure out how to make things better together. This will help strengthen your own relationship with them too.

Read More: How To Avoid Bringing Kids Up In An Expat Bubble In Hong Kong