Spoiled child syndrome

Although it is not an official diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the spoiled child syndrome was identified and described by Bruce McIntosh in 1989. The syndrome is characterized by "excessive, self-centered, and immature behavior". It includes lack of consideration for other people, recurrent temper tantrums, an inability to handle the delay of gratification, demands for having one's own way, obstructiveness, and manipulation....

It is important to note that the temper tantrums are recurrent. McIntosh observes that "many of the problem behaviors that cause parental concern are unrelated to spoiling as properly understood". Children may have occasional temper tantrums without them falling under the umbrella of "spoiled". Extreme cases of spoiled child syndrome, in contrast, will involve frequent temper tantrums, physical aggression, defiance, destructive behaviour, and refusal to comply with even the simple demands of daily living.

Differential diagnosis
Children with underlying medical or mental health problems may exhibit some of the symptoms. Speech or hearing disorders, and attention deficit disorder, may lead to children failing to understand the limits set by parents. Children who have recently experienced a stressful event, such as the separation of the parents or the birth or death of a close family relative, may also exhibit some or all of the symptoms. Children of parents who themselves have psychiatric disorders may manifest some of the symptoms, because the parents behave erratically, sometimes failing to perceive their children's behaviour correctly, and thus fail to properly or consistently define limits of normal behaviour for them.

Treatment
Treatment by a physician involves assessing parental competence, and whether the parents set limits correctly and consistently. Physicians should rule out dysfunction in the family, referring dysfunctional families for family therapy and dysfunctional parents for parenting skills training, and counsel parents in methods for modifying their child's behaviour.

I was google-ing Spoiled child and this came out on wiki. Don't you just love wikipedia.

"parents set limits correctly", my parents are your worst nightmare. They are strict traditional parents but clearly it didn't work for me.

I heart them for this.
Love, xoxo.