He rich kid syndrome or “ricopathy” is not a disorder that is a direct consequence of growing up in a wealthy family, but rather it is a phenomenon that affects children from rich and middle-class families. It is related to the child who has been pampered and spoiled throughout his life, which usually leads to different future problems.
The education that children receive is important for their future emotional development
Therefore, It is not a condition associated with social class, but it does influence the education that a child receives from the parents Sometimes we see parents, whether rich or not, who seek to make up for the lack of time and attention by buying gifts for their children, or we see parents who put excessive pressure on their children to make them stand out from the rest.
In these situations, the behavior of the parents, in many cases for being overprotective and in others for giving access to too many material goods, leads as a consequence to different problems in the emotional development of the child. This educational style will manifest itself in boys and girls in different ways: psychological (stress, disinterest, aggression, behavioral disorders, anxiety) or physical (headaches, vomiting, diarrhea).
Idle, lazy children with little tolerance for frustration
The concept ricopathy It arises from a book by Harvard University professor, Ralph Minear, called: “The Child Who Has Everything in Excess.” In this book, the author states that:
“The child who has been pampered all his life may have serious problems later in life, as well as emotional difficulties. Some consequences are: excessive consumption of alcohol or marijuana, discriminatory treatment towards others and serious behavioral problems, or a lazy attitude and little tolerance for frustration, due to never having to worry about earning things and always having received what one deserves. He has wanted”.
What are the parents of children with rich kid syndrome like?
In the same book, Minear narrates the characteristics of parents whose children suffer from ricopathy. Parents They usually meet at least several of these points:
Leaving children in the care of another person s most of the day and not meeting your emotional needs.
Make up for your lack of attention with gifts of material type.
Being excessively overprotective and not being rigid enough when the child does something wrong.
These are just some of the characteristics that can cause rich kid syndrome, but the motivations of the parents tend to be varied. On many occasions they have to do with the hectic pace of work that does not allow them to spend the time necessary to educate their children in the correct way.
Children who have everything but feel empty
Unfortunately, although these parents may think that giving them everything and not being as strict as they have to be with their children is an act of love, In the long run this becomes a negative consequence for the little ones Children have to learn to earn things and suffer when necessary to continue growing as people. Being overly protective and giving them everything thinking that they will be happy will only turn them into people who will not know how to tolerate frustration nor will they be able to postpone their cravings. Therefore, when they grow up and are faced with harsh reality, they may end up suffering from this lack of learning.
Parents, on many occasions, think that this type of behavior is a good father or mother, because no one wants their child to have a bad time. But achieving things for themselves, fighting, making an effort and even having a hard time when it has to be hard, It is a valuable learning that helps the child develop psychologically and ethically
Conclusion: loving your children means setting limits
In short, children who have everything and who do not need to work hard to get the things they want, always want more and better because They are in a stage of egocentric thinking Just think of a teenager whose parents buy a high-end BMW. If at some point he has to get rid of that vehicle, he probably won’t be happy with a normal car.
Experts have long warned parents of the dangers of spoiling a child. And although no one doubts that depriving a child of what she wants is not pleasant, values are learned through one’s own experience. The family is the socializing agent that will have the most influence on the child’s development and, therefore, Parents should know that frustration is also part of the child’s general learning
