You know how some people act like the world owes them something just for existing? They waltz through life expecting VIP treatment while the rest of us are just trying to survive another Monday. It’s like they missed life’s memo that says “work hard, be kind, and don’t demand other people’s stuff.” And when money gets involved? That’s when the entitlement levels go through the roof.
One Redditor found herself in the middle of some peak entitlement nonsense when her sister-in-law tried to strong-arm her into handing over her daughter’s college fund because her kid didn’t have one. Solid logic.
More info: Reddit
When it comes to their kids’ future, some parents save up for years, while others try to guilt-trip their in-laws into paying for their child’s education
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One mom shuts down her entitled sister-in-law’s absurd demand to hand over her daughter’s college fund because her child doesn’t have one of her own
Image credits: MART PRODUCTION / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The woman’s parents start saving for their granddaughter’s college the day she is born, but her sister-in-law goes ballistic, demanding they give her the money instead
Image credits: anon
When the parents refuse to give her any money, the sister-in-law asks the woman to hand over the fund, since she has enough money already, but is shut down fast
The OP (original poster) has a 5-year-old daughter, Isla. The OP’s brother is married to Candace, who has a 7-year-old, Kaylee, from a previous relationship. Now, Candace’s ex is nowhere to be found, so she’s flying solo on the whole parenting thing. The OP’s brother, to his credit, treats his stepdaughter well, but they keep their finances separate, so Candace takes care of her daughter’s expenses.
Meanwhile, the OP’s parents, in classic grandparent fashion, decided to set up a college fund for their beloved granddaughter, Isla. They didn’t have to, but they wanted to. The OP and her husband were already saving for Isla’s future, but hey, extra financial security never hurt anyone.
The moment Candace caught wind of this fund, she went into full meltdown mode. According to her, Kaylee should be getting a college fund, too, because she’s technically their granddaughter. But the OP’s parents didn’t see it that way. Whether it was a biological connection thing, a personal decision, or just them wanting to invest in Isla’s future, it was their money, their choice.
So, what did Candace do? Did she calmly accept reality and move on? Ha! Nope. She called OP’s parents and straight-up demanded they “fix” the situation by tossing some cash Kaylee’s way. When that plan crashed and burned, she pivoted to the OP, insisting she either pressure her parents into sharing the money or just give Kaylee the fund herself when the time comes, because she “wouldn’t miss it.”
Now, if the OP had a superpower, it was shutting down nonsense at record speed. She gave Candace a hard “Nope,” leaving her entitled sister-in-law to rethink her next move.
Entitled folks believe that the universe (or, in this case, the in-laws) should serve up whatever they want on a silver platter because they have a belief that they deserve more or better than others. But where does entitlement come from?
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To find out more about this topic, Bored Panda reached out to Jourdan Travers, LCSW, a licensed therapist, for some comments. She told us people with an entitled mindset often display a lack of adaptability, insist that their needs and desires should take precedence over others, and have difficulty handling frustration. They may react with anger when things don’t go their way and believe they deserve more than others.
We asked Travers how entitlement develops. She explained, “Entitlement is a learned behavior influenced by various factors such as parenting styles, peer pressure, and societal expectations. By recognizing the root causes of our entitled behavior, we can begin to address and change it.
“Entitlement can become problematic when it stems from emotional deprivation in childhood. In such cases, the learned attitude of entitlement serves as a defense mechanism against feelings of hurt, shame, and fear that result from those early experiences,” she continued.
We wanted to know if entitlement is more common among certain personality types. Travers explained that while entitlement is not exclusive to any one personality type, it is a characteristic often associated with Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
However, entitlement alone does not indicate a mental health condition. It typically develops due to underlying psychological or environmental factors, meaning that when someone exhibits entitled behavior, there is usually a deeper reason behind it.
We asked Travers what was the best way to enforce boundaries with an entitled person. She told us, “A good rule of thumb is to use what we clinicians like to call the SET method. S stands for Support, initially letting the individual know that you value them and their relationship; E stands for empathy, acknowledging and validating why they might feel the way they are. Lastly, T stands for speaking your truth, setting the boundary, letting them know what you need, and how they can best support you.”
So, if Candace wants a college fund for her daughter, maybe she should start saving for one instead of asking for someone else’s. Just a thought!
But what do you think? Should the poster have caved and agreed to fund her sister-in-law’s daughter’s education, or is this entitlement at its finest? Let us know in the comments!
Netizens side with the woman, saying she is not a jerk for refusing to give her sister-in-law the college fund meant for her daughter
Image credits: Geri Art / Pexels (not the actual photo)
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