If you have children, you may ask yourself this question from time to time... am I spoiling my kids?
Here are five signs to watch for indicating your child could be spoiled.
The first is tantrums after the age of two or three, difficulty with keeping friends, the third is constantly wanting new toys or gadgets, and then something you might not have thought of, too many cavities or a tendency toward obesity, and the fifth sign, your child expecting you to do things he or she can do for themselves.
Experts say, overwhelming your child with praise and affirmation in every aspect of his life can make a child narcissistic, and cause trouble down the road.
Local parents are the first to admit that kids need a balance of praise and reality, even though this generation has a tendency to spoil.
“I think it's important that you build them up and that they have a good self esteem and so I think that has to be combined with an adequate amount of discipline," says mother of two Erin Brady.
Erin says parents these days do have a tendency to exaggerate positive re-enforcement.
"Instead of just saying oh you did a great job on your test, it's oh my gosh, you're the smartest one in the whole class," Brady says.
Child psychologists encourage parents to dole out well deserved praise, but think kids need to stay grounded.
"There's a saying that I love, it's an old Hassidic saying that says keep two pieces of paper in your pocket at all times, on one, write I am a speck of dust, and on the other, the world was created for me,” says child psychologist for Arkansas Children’s Hospital and UAMS Jayne Bellando.
Bellando says parents need to walk a fine line between healthy praise and turning a blind eye to negative behavior.
"Praise is good, but when you start making excuses for your child and only seeing the positives and ignoring some of the negative, more realistic behaviors, there's the fear and tendency to raise a child who feels entitled, Bellando says.
Children who never feel disappointment can become narcissistic, and experts warn that comes with consequences later in life.
A San Diego State University psychologist says narcissistic adults lack emotional warmth, are dishonest and violent, can be over controlling, angry and often have short-lived romantic relationships.
"I think we all know kids who got an Ipod and they look at it and a second later they're on to the next thing, but the child who really knows that their parents are proud of them, that's really what motivates children."
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