Sound familiar? Instead of staring at their reflection in the water, today's kids are being taught to stare at their reflection in a cell phone. In a "selfie" world, it's all about me.
Narcissism is a sense of entitlement and feeling better than others. It
constantly seeks admiration and if it feels
humiliated or rejected, it tends to lash out or become aggressive.
Research shows that narcissism has been steadily increasing in kids. In an effort to see their children succeed in a "selfie" world, well-intending parents are unintentionally nudging their children toward narcissistic behavior.
Recent studies show that how parents treat their children is a major influence in whether they will display narcissistic behavior or not. Want to raise a narcissistic child? Here's 7 steps.
Tell your child that he or she is better than others. This help your child avoid humility and empathy.
Demand that your child receives special attention or extra privileges. This will give your child a sense of entitlement.
Believe your child is right all the time. Blindly take your child's "side" against authority or other people, even when your child is in the wrong.
Complain when your child doesn't win an award or receive recognition. Let your child know they "deserved" to win and they were "robbed."
Never tell your child "no." Give them everything they want...when they want it.
Be rude or insensitive when interacting with others. Talk down to people in front of your child. Rant and rave at the store when you don't get exactly what you want. Give people a piece of your mind so your child can learn to do the same thing.
Confuse love with approval. Don't just love your child unconditionally...give them 24/7 approval and praise of everything they do.
As parents, our goal should be to give our children love, affection and appreciation. This leads to healthy self-esteem. Thinking your child is awesome is a good thing, but teaching your child he or she is more awesome than other kids is not setting them up for success now or later in life.
