Kids Raised By Parents Who Spoiled Them Financially Usually Carry 8 Habits Into Adulthood
New Africa | Shutterstock Living in a financially uncertain, unstable environment can negatively impact childhood development.
On the other side of the coin, not all kids who were spoiled financially develop good habits without lessons on delayed gratification and empathy. Not all parents with disposable income set their kids up for failure, but there are plenty of children whose parents who financially spoiled them that end up with unhealthy, entitled habits in adulthood.
Habits that kids raised by parents who financially spoiled them still have as adults
1. They expect to always have their needs met
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Many adults who were spoiled early in life expect to always have their needs met. They demonize discomfort because they're used to existing without having to worry about solving problems or dealing with emotions on their own.
When something's not easy, they believe it's inherently bad. Not only does this sabotage their work ethic, but it caters to a kind of entitlement that harms every part of their life.
They're not comfortable when they want something they can't have or are forced to do something difficult. They're used to turning this struggle over to someone else before they have to face it.
2. They don't try new things
According to child psychologist Lauren Silvers, overindulgent parents don't want to see their kids uncomfortable, so they spend and do whatever they can to protect them from discomfort.
But this not only takes away opportunities for their kids to build resilience and practice emotional regulation skills. It also ensures that they stay in their comfort zones, expecting everyone else to protect them as their parents did.
Trying new things and making mistakes as adults requires some level of internal self-security and self-reliance. But kids of overindulgent parents were socialized into relying on material things for instant comfort.
3. They avoid alone time
Kids with parents who spoiled them financially struggle with underlying psychological issues later in life. For example, they may be used to having parents who fund their every desire and get them whatever they want. In adulthood, that means they're unequipped to handle regular struggles and minor inconveniences.
They're not used to missing out on anything, because they had parents who spent whatever they could to protect their kids from discomfort and isolation. As adults, they're not okay with sitting in discomfort or spending time alone.
They overschedule themselves and overspend to distract themselves from simplicity and quietness, usually at their own expense.
4. They spend money they don't have
Despite being privileged in so many ways, children from affluent backgrounds are still often predisposed to later struggles with anxiety and depression. For example, a spoiled child may learn to deal with complex emotions by spending money and relying on material goods, even in adulthood when they don't have the same financial resources to support themselves.
If they never learned how to sit with desire and wait for the things they want, they're impulsive with spending when they don't have the money to. They've learned to cope with their emotions through money.
5. They underappreciate the little things
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Kids who were spoiled growing up may have higher financial expectations when it comes to birthday gifts or dating, but they also grew up without a strong appreciation for little things. Their self-worth and how appreciated they felt by their parents was wrapped up in what their parents were spending.
Compared to kids from more humble backgrounds who learn to appreciate small moments of quality time and handmade gifts, these spoiled kids bring unrealistic expectations and a struggle with gratitude into adulthood.
6. They overspend on convenience
We often grow into more resilient adults when faced with hardship as kids. For some children, that means waiting for things they want and saving their own money.
But many spoiled kids were socialized into expecting ease and convenience, instead of learning to cope with minor inconveniences. Now, as adults, they're wired to seek out convenience, even if they don't have the same kind of disposable income their parents did.
Minor nuisances feel like the end of the world because they weren't offered opportunities to practice regulating their emotions or improve their work ethic.
7. They struggle to commit to hobbies
Whether it's a new interest or a material item they just had to have, many kids whose parents spoiled them financially end up as passive adults who can't commit to investing their energy into anything. They're so used to wanting something and immediately getting it, lowering how appreciative they are of newness around hobbies.
As adults, they overinvest in a hobby they saw once on social media, only to forget about it a few days later. They waste money on all kinds of trends and materialistic things without ever putting any effort into using them.
8. They can't cope with hearing 'no'
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Spoiled kids, whether that's having emotionally coddling parents or getting everything they want financially, often struggle with boundaries as adults. They never had to hear "no" from their parents, and ultimately grew into entitled people who believed they were deserving of whatever they wanted and needed.
The unfairness of the world doesn't often protect entitlement, especially for adult children who don't have the financial means or resources their parents did growing up. Entitled adults believe they're deserving of whatever they want, so when they don't get it, it's immediately unfair.
They have a very misconstrued definition of what unfairness means. Just because they believe something is unfair, it doesn't mean everyone around them needs to change something. Sometimes, you have to learn how to accept that the world is uncertain and unwilling to coddle you.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
