Lots of parents believe that they have the most beautiful, intelligent and special children in the world. But there’s a difference between ensuring that your kids feel loved and supported and genuinely believing that you and your offspring are better than everyone else.

It’s disappointing to hear that some parents place themselves and their little ones on a pedestal, but apparently, it does happen. And one mother who recently had an encounter with a particularly entitled mom at a public park decided to share the amusing story online. Below, you’ll find all of the details, as well as some responses from amused readers.

This mother expected nothing but a nice day when taking her son to a public park

Image credits:  Ana Klipper (not the actual photo)

But she soon encountered an entitled mom who threw a tantrum on par with one of a toddler

Image credits: Nathan Dumlao (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Julia Avamotive (not the actual photo)

Image credits: rbliz92

Later, the mom shared even more information about the situation

There seems to be no shortage of entitled parents nowadays

There’s no shortage of entitled people in this world, which is ironic because they all think they’re one of a kind. You might encounter a Karen at the grocery store who refuses to wait in line at the checkout or a man on an airplane who insists you switch seats with him so he can sit next to his girlfriend. No matter how often we hear these horror stories online, it seems like there’s always another just waiting to be discovered. And unfortunately, these entitled individuals are often parents who get to pass on their loveliest traits to their offspring. According to Demeter Stamell at MamaMia, “When it comes to parenting, we are living in the age of entitlement.” She notes that many kids never hear the word “no” from Mommy and Daddy and that exhausted parents often start feeling like they’re entitled to special treatment now that they’ve brought little ones into the world.

Being around entitled individuals is never fun, but it’s not a joy to be entitled either. The Parent Cue explains that these people are robbed of joy because they’re never grateful for anything and cannot appreciate how good they have it. But these entitled parents are also likely to raise equally entitled children who will wreak havoc on their peers in the future. Some examples of how children can develop a dangerous sense of entitlement that Jonathan Swinton noted in a piece for Utah State University are: when their parents regularly let them interrupt conversations; when their parents defend them when a teacher or fellow parent brings a behavior issue to their attention; or when parents will cater to a child’s picky eating or specific preferences all the time.

Sadly, these parents are likely to raise entitled children as well

Swinton explains that it’s important for children to be taught to respect their parents’ (and everyone else’s) time, resources and boundaries. Children need to learn how to handle disappointment and being told that they can’t have whatever they want all the time. It can be challenging to teach these lessons as a parent who loves their kids more than anything else in the world, but these are important for kids to learn to ensure they don’t grow up to be obnoxiously entitled adults. Dealing with parents like the mom mentioned in this particular story is never easy. It can be impossible to reason with them, and extremely frustrating when they have no awareness of how spoiled they sound. But according to Sarah Kristenson at Happier Human, there are a few tactics we can take when it comes to dealing with entitled individuals without losing our minds.  

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Kristenson recommends not enabling entitled adults by giving them whatever they’re demanding. Don’t be afraid to tell them no. However, if you do want to help them, Kristenson says it’s better to give a “hand up” than a “handout.” Basically, this just means that they can’t get what they want without having to earn it or make some sort of exchange. If a friend wants to crash on your couch for a few weeks while they look for a new apartment, you might agree on some sort of arrangement so that they still pay you “rent” or do all of the cleaning or grocery shopping during their stay so that they’re not simply getting a free ride. 

The best way to fight entitlement is to refrain from enabling it

It’s also crucial to set boundaries with entitled people, as they’ll often take a mile when they’re given an inch. And be firm with your boundaries; don’t waste energy arguing or negotiating with them. But make sure you always address them with respect. Even if they don’t always give others as much respect as they should, fighting fire with fire is never ideal. It can also be helpful to explain why exactly you can’t simply give them whatever they demand. For example, you can tell them that it wouldn’t be fair to others or that you don’t have enough disposable income or free time at the moment, etc. And of course, sometimes, it’s best to just cut ties with this person if they’re causing you more stress than the relationship is worth.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this story in the comments below, pandas. Have you ever dealt with an entitled parent like this mother in the wild? Feel free to share your own experiences, and then if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article calling out an entitled parent, we recommend checking out this piece next!   

Amused readers shared their thoughts on the story and called out the entitled mother for her behavior

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Some even shared similar stories of entitled parents and influencers they’ve encountered in the wild

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