Spoiled Kids (And How Not To Have Them)

We’ve all witnessed other people's children behaving as if they were king or queen of the hill.

Sometimes it's even our own kids who are behaving abominably at Applebee's.

But what exactly makes a kid "spoiled"? Conversely, what’s the opposite of spoiled, and how do we raise those kids?

We unpack this loaded term in this week’s episode and talk about how our own experiences have shaped our opinions.

In this episode, we discuss:

·      The history of the term “spoiled child”

·      Why spoiled children act out... and why it's usually in public

·      Boundary-seeking behavior and how to address it

Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode:

Livia Gershon for JStor Daily: The Spoiled Child is Not a Modern Invention

Jill Suttie for Greater Good Magazine: Taking on the Myth of the Spoiled Child

Patrick A. Coleman for Fatherly: Americans Fear Raising Spoiled Children and Do It Anyway

Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton for Greater Good Magazine: How to Pass the Marshmallow Test

The Myth of the Spoiled Child: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom about Children and Parenting by Alfie Kohn

Too Much of a Good Thing by Dan Kindlon

Positive Pushing: How to Raise a Happy and Successful Child by Dr. Jim Taylor

We also refer to our interview with kindergarten teacher and standup comedian Mr. D:

Fresh Take: Joe "Mr. D" Dombrowski on the Fresh Hells of Teaching During a Pandemic

Special thanks to this month's sponsors:

Betabrand has reinvented comfort and style with their dress yoga pants, and we love ours! Get 30% off your first order when you go to Betabrand.com/LAUGHING.

Daily Harvest delivers delicious harvest bowls, flatbreads, smoothies, and more, all built on organic fruits and vegetables. Go to dailyharvest.com/laughing to get up to $40 off your first box!

Home.Made. Podcast is a terrific new podcast offering stories about the meaning of home in America. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts!

flowkey lets you learn piano at your own pace. Go to flowkey.com/whatfreshhell to receive 7 days of flowkey Premium for free and 20% off an annual subscription. 

Indeed is the only job site where you're guaranteed to find quality applicants -- or else you don't pay! Upgrade your job post with a $75 sponsored job credit through March 31st at indeed.com/laughing.

KiwiCo projects make science, technology, engineering, art, and math super fun. Get 30% off your first month plus FREE shipping on ANY crate line with code MOTHERHOOD.

Membrasin is the totally natural, estrogen-free, clinically-proven feminine moisture formula. Go to membrasinlife.com and use the code FRESH10 to get 10% off.

Native products keep you feeling and smelling fresh. Get 20% off your first order by going to nativedeo.com/fresh or by using the promo code FRESH.

Parade underwear and loungewear are sustainable, size-inclusive, comfortable and fantastic! Go to Parade.com/Laughing and use the code LAUGHING for 20% off your first order.

 Peloton has a workout for every goal, day, and mood: everything from boxing and dance cardio to yoga and meditation. Visit onepeloton.com to learn more.

Prose now makes supplements personally tailored to address your specific cause of hair shedding. Get your free in-depth consultation and 15% off your custom hair supplements at prose.com/laughing. 

School Toolbox makes shopping for school supplies for your kids easier– and also creates fundraising opportunities for your school! Find out more at schooltoolbox.com/whatfreshhell.

Thrive Causemetics high-performing beauty and skin-care products are made with clean, skin-loving ingredients. Get 15% off your first order at thrivecausemetics.com/whatfreshhell.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices