Spoilt kids

When 12-year-old Hannah spotted a pair of high heels like her best friend at school had, she pestered her mum to buy them. When Di said no, as they were too grown-up for her, Hannah told her mum she was horrible, flicked her ponytail over her shoulder and sashayed off to another shop without a backward glance. Di had just finished a double shift at work and didn’t have the energy to fight with her daughter, so she gave in to keep the peace.

Overindulging a child isn’t just giving in or giving kids too much; it’s not setting reasonable boundaries for behaviour. It’s also overpraising a child.

For some, it’s buying every gadget, gizmo or must-have toy or finishing a school project because their child can’t or won’t do it. For others, it’s not following through with bedtime limits or simply letting a whingeing child have their way to