No matter what other people tell you, there aren’t any rules regarding decorating for Christmas. You can do it right after Halloween or wait until Christmas Eve to put up your tree. You can go all out with outside decorations or keep it all contained inside. You can put up multiple Christmas trees or not have one at all—it’s all your choice.

The problem here is that many people like to make it their choice, whether they have a say in it or not. Everyone wants their opinion to count, whether it’s your parents, your neighbors, or the local school bus driver, apparently. At least that is who was responsible for all the ruckus in the following story. Scroll down to see how the author handled their entitlement.

Lawn decorations can spark conflict between family members, neighbors, and members of Home Owner Associations

Image credits: Austin Pacheco (not the actual image)

The last person you’d think would get involved in this is a school bus driver. But, nonetheless, that’s the case in this story

Image credits: kohls.com

Image credits: Extreme_Paranoia_43

The driver in this story sounds like an entitled person

Entitled people often give off a vibe that is quite unmistakable and easy to notice. However, if you want to be sure, here are a few signs that show you’re dealing with an entitled person:

• They believe they deserve more than what they have. No matter what they get, they always think that they could get more.
• Their needs come first. They do not care about your time and money, they just want things to be done their way and for their benefit. You don’t really matter.
• They don’t like being told no. In fact, they will do anything to get what they want the way they want it. This includes bullying, threats, and manipulations.

Seems like this bus driver ticks all these boxes.

Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual image)

The author did handle the situation quite well

Here are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to dealing with entitled people:

• Be firm with your boundaries. Communicate what’s acceptable to you and what behavior you do not tolerate. Do not let things slide or accept doing favors even once as that might lead to them asking for more.
• Phrase things cleverly. You can start by using “I” statements. They help you come off as more assertive and allow you to avoid sounding accusatory. You can also use “wish” statements to turn them down. For example, “I wish I could put more decorations up, but that is not in my budget this year. I’d be happy to add some more things if you want to chip in.”
• Don’t give in to provocations. Entitled people love conflict. Keeping a calm demeanor and ignoring their remarks is a great way to show the world does not revolve around them.

Image credits: Anete Lusina (not the actual image)

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