How to Handle Ungrateful Behavior

Today is all about how to handle ungrateful children, and the research behind what is commonly called bratty or even spoiled behavior. So as many of us are spending increased time with extended family members over the holidays, We may be feeling dread or stress about our children showing a lack of gratitude, or as some of our older relatives may call it, bratty or spoiled behavior.

For some reason, our children being ungrateful towards others, particularly older relatives, seems to be worse than when they are ungrateful with us in the comfort of our own home. So for example, my children occasionally refer to the meals I make for them as disgusting or gross, and it really, at this point, rarely fazes me.

But if they did this to someone else, like an older relative, I would be mortified. So, it's often situations like this that make us wonder whether we are raising spoiled brats, even though we might hate that term, and feel desperate for a way to prevent this behavior.

So let's dig into the research - why is ungrateful behavior so common in young children and how do we as parents respond to ungrateful behavior in a way that discourages it in the future?

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Parenting Translator is hosted by Dr. Cara Goodwin and is produced by Earfluence.

Dr. Cara Goodwin, Ph.D., is a child psychologist and mother to three children who "translates" research on parenting and child development into information that is accurate, relevant, and useful to parents.