50 Parents Who Got Roasted Online For Thinking The World Revolves Around Them And Their Kids

Many of us try our best to raise nice, kind, and confident kids, but not everyone manages to. Sometimes, entitlement creeps in and follows the child all the way to adulthood. They believe they deserve special treatment, favors, discounts, and handouts while giving mere mortals the side-eye from the top of their pedestal.

One day, this grown-up Karen will possibly have children of their own and become a parent. Or a Karent... It's a generational cycle that can be hard to break.

Author and The Parenting Mentor founder Susan Groner says these "Karents," or entitled parents, believe they and their families deserve special treatment, favors, or freebies because they are somehow superior to others because of their economic or social position, or “just because.”

They can be a nightmare for teachers. Or anyone around them, for that matter. “An entitled parent will never accept that their child is at fault for anything,” Groner explains. “They expect their child to be treated as the smartest, most talented child and will fight with teachers, principals, coaches, and directors.”

One teacher spoke anonymously about how they love their job, but cannot handle the entitled parents that come with it. "​​There is one aspect of my work that I find increasingly unbearable: dealing with overbearing, entitled parents who believe their child is either a misunderstood genius or an innocent victim, even when the reality is far from it," they said.

Groner gets it. And gave Huffington Post some examples of statements you might hear from a Karent.

These include: “Why is my child only in the chorus? They deserve the lead role!”“Don’t even think about benching my child. You better make them a starter”; “My child deserves to be in the gifted class, and I will go all the way to the superintendent if you don’t put them in that class”; “Take that off my child’s record or I will sue” or even “Change my child’s grade.”

The anonymous teacher believes entitled parents are doing more harm to their kids than good. "These parents don't realise the damage they're causing," they said. "Their refusal to accept their children's imperfections, or to allow them to navigate social challenges on their own, actually stunts their development. It also strains the teacher-parent relationship to a point where I dread seeing these parents."

The educator added that they're "always walking on eggshells, trying to teach and guide these young minds while being second-guessed by their parents."

It's a sentiment echoed by psychotherapist Noel McDermott. “The entitlement is projected onto the child as a set of expectations and beliefs in perfectionist views of the child,” said the expert. “Any criticism of the child will be a criticism of the parent. The parent will insist on special treatment for their child and remove their child from opportunities to socialize outside of their tightly controlled social circle.”

The teacher adds that often, when the offspring of a Karent gets low marks, the parent refuses to accept reality. Instead, the teacher is accused of "picking on her because she's smarter than the other kids."

"This is just ridiculous!" they exclaimed. "Kids need to learn from their mistakes, understand their limitations, and develop resilience. Shielding them from failure or conflict does nothing for them in the long run."

Believing that everyone owes them something is a major sign of an entitled parent, notes Becky Stuempfig, a licensed marriage and family therapist. “Entitled parents may seem like they have ‘a chip on their shoulder’ and often be heard complaining about how they were treated unfairly,” explains the expert.

“Many times entitled parents will be seen complaining to people with authority, such as managers of stores or restaurants, teachers, principals, and coaches," she added. "They may be seen dramatically storming out of social scenes or youth sporting events due to feeling like their child is not being treated correctly.”

The teacher has this message for all the parents and Karents: "Your involvement in your child's education is crucial, but it needs to be balanced. Trust the teachers who are dedicated to helping your child grow. Allow your children to face challenges and learn from them. Encourage their strengths, but also acknowledge their weaknesses. No person can be good at everything. And not every kid is a genius. In fact, I'm yet to meet a true genius!"