Parents should know that by pampering and spoiling their children they are not only ruining the future of their offspring, but also creating trouble for themselves in the long run, says an article on pinglun.youth.cn. Excerpts:

A spoiled and jobless 23-year-old woman in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, recently threatened to attack her parents with a chopper if they didn't give her 6,000 yuan ($1,000) to buy an iPhone 6.

Police stopped the woman and tried to drive some sense into her distorted mind. But police cannot make the woman change her wayward ways and stop her from living off her retired parents' savings.

The woman's case reflects an important social issue, that of single children. Many single-child parents spoil their offspring by going to great lengths to fulfill their material demands. As a result, when such children, especially those who don't complete their education or vocational training, grow up they take material assistance from their parents for granted. Self-centered and presumptuous, like the Nanning woman, such people have no sense of responsibility and do not care about others.

It's time parents realized that bringing up children is not only about creating a comfortable life for them. It is also about guiding them to acquire the knowledge and skills to be financially independent and develop a sense of social responsibility.

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