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Spoiled brat

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A brat, or pleonastically spoiled brat (alternatively spelled spoilt brat in British English) is a child whose educators systematically fail to teach it to behave and to discipline its mischief, as the Old Testament already warned not to spare the rod and spoil the child.

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Word history

The word brat is recorded in English since c.1505, as slang for "beggar's child," originally northern, Midlands and western England dialect "makeshift or ragged garment," probably the same word as Old English bratt "cloak," from a Celtic source (cfr. Old Irish bratt "cloak, cloth"). The modern meaning of mischievous kid is perhaps from the notion of "child's apron." The adjective bratty was first recorded in 1961.

Rationale

The parents let it get its way in most things and thus worsen greed, selfishness, and arrogance in the child. A spoiled brat is typically an only child that is constantly doted on by its parents, usually in excess. It could also be the younger sibling of a main character. Often, if the child gets a response of "no", he or she will scream, shout, cry, hit others, and behave inappropriately and like an infant, until he or she has their way. Some believe this behavior is brought on by the insecurity that results from over-affection of the parents and a lack of discipline and clearly-set boundaries in childhood.

The spoiled brat is also a stock character in several fiction works. Additionally, the "popular girl" stock character can also be considered a spoiled brat, especially if the girl is a teenager, has a school employee for a parent, and privileged financially.

Carmelita Spats - an example of a spoiled brat found in A Series of Unfortunate Events
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Carmelita Spats - an example of a spoiled brat found in A Series of Unfortunate Events

Stereotypical image of spoiled brats

The stereotypical spoiled brat is a child that comes from a usually-rich family or from a rich upbringing. 
If a girl, she is always wearing a dress and sometimes has pigtails or very stylized and oversized ringlets, sometimes with a smile on her face to appear sweet, but may revel in some tomboyish behavior when alone with other kids.

If a boy, he is most likely dressed in fine clothes at all times and has his hair brushed and cut neatly.



Terminology

A more positive term for "spoiled brat" would be "spoiled princess" for a girl who doesn't show much of the negative symptoms of spoiling ("spoiled prince" for a boy). Another would be "daddy's little girl", which is a girl that is usually pampered by her father, and "mommy's little boy" (which is a boy usually pampered by his mother).


In the People's Republic of China, since Deng Xiaoping's economics reforms brought wealth coupled with state-imposed draconian restrictions on the number of offspring, the term little emperor was coined for the often only son of a well-to-do couple which tends to spoil their (often sole) heir as never before and to relax the traditionally firm educational discipline.



Fictional spoiled brats


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Boys



Girls



Sources, references and external links

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See also









 





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