Former Spoiled Kids Share The Times Their Privilege Was Checked Hard

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JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Nov 26, 2023 5:00 PM EST

When you're a kid, it's hard to fathom that everyone doesn't live the same way you do. You assume everyone's parents are like yours, everyone's circumstances are the same, and everyone has the same goals. It's a huge part of development to realize that everyone's family works differently… that not everybody has taco Tuesday, and not everyone's dad calls ranch dressing "cowboy cream." That was a wake-up call for me. I was laughed out of the cafeteria that day.

Add money and privilege to the mix, and reality is even harsher. And some folks can go for decades, well into their adult lives, before they realize the kind of advantages they have. Often, it's when they're taken away or challenged. A recent Reddit thread pulled the curtain back on those aha moments in people's lives, and the replies open up some interesting questions about how long we allow ourselves to live in delusion. 

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  • 01
    r/AskReddit u/MisspeltWorld • 1d Ex spoiled kids, what was your reality checks?
    via u/MisspeltWorld
  • 02
    GregHauser • 21h Joining the workforce. Very first day of my first job I was like "Oh , this is what everyone was complaining about."
    via u/GregHauser
  • 03
    Hidden Squish - 18h When I was complaining to a college classmate about how my laptop battery wouldn't last for a whole class and I was really hoping for a new one from my parents for Christmas. I then learned her parents were homeless and she was just hoping by Christmas they'd have a roof over their heads. Big wake up call. We remain friends to this day.
    via u/HiddenSquish
  • 04
    cinder_allie 20h I had a few reality checks. The first major one was during a Christmas gathering where my nephew received 2 new Playstation consoles and 1 new Xbox console. The idea was to send a Playstation to each parents house as they were separated. His comment was "is that it?" The amount of red that I saw was insane. I was a spoiled brat but I never made a comment quite like that. Made me realize how insufferable it is to be around a spoiled brat. Second was when my mom had a stroke. Foun
    via u/cinder_allie
  • 05
    bcrown22 1d Father died and gave his inheritance to his 25 yo gf
    via u/bcrown22
  • 06
    StatementActive1998 • 22h My mom got seriously ill in cancer and ended up in the ICU for five months. I had to get my together real quick now that she couldn't fix my messes anymore.
    via u/StatementActive1998
  • 07
    spidermansthirdweb. 21h Seeing my friends and in-laws struggle to afford extracurriculars for their kids. Growing up in a high- income area, everyone I knew (myself and my siblings included) participated in activities like Girl Scouts, dance, gymnastics, soccer, softball, etc. There was never any question of affordability and uniforms and gear were always purchased brand new. Now I see parents in my age group (early 30s) only being able to afford one, MAYBE two extracurricular activities per yea
    via u/spidermansthirdweb
  • 08
    iamStanhousen · 22h ● When I mistreated someone I cared about and they actually followed through with cutting me out of their life.
    via u/iamStanhousen
  • 09
    protogens 23h When I discovered things like electricity and water come with monthly bills.
    via u/protogens
  • 10
    thehyruler 20h ● My family was middle class but treated me like they always had plenty of funds. When I heard that they took $ out of their retirement savings so I could go to private university, I turned in my transfer notice and came back to an in-state college and picked up a job as well.
    via u/thehyruler
  • 11
    Airam07 21h When my father died. I suddenly went into protective mode for my mother, and younger siblings. My mom had always been a SAHM and although we had an amazing support system from her family, emotionally I was not equipped for such a loss. My younger brother also switched majors, quit partying and cutting class and started a very successful business. The sense of responsibility was overwhelming.
    via u/Airam07
  • 12
    According_To_Me. 21h Sometime when I was a teenager, I realized my experiences growing up was not like other kids. Some of my friends said I was rich and I honestly didn't see it at the time. I thought my parents house was average, but it wasn't. Living in my own in one of the most expensive cities in the planet was a baptism by fire. You learn very quick where your dollar should go and where it shouldn't.
    via u/According_To_Me
  • 13
    Liatkim. 1d I was late to the game when it came to applying for colleges my senior year of high school, so when I accepted to go to a school 8 hours away from my hometown, I had missed the deadline to apply for a dorm or nearby apartment. I ended up living in a house four miles away from campus with no car, and with the nearest bus stop being a 30 minute walk through tall grass next to a busy street with no sidewalks. I missed my bus the very first day of class and started sobbing. I called my m
    via u/Liatkim
  • 14
    flameodude • 1d I am the second child who got everything he wanted. My sister was the one to compromise everything for me. I wanted new phone, i got it. I wanted a new computer, i got that too. Basically everything i wanted i got it. While my sister was still using her old stuff. Now comes the part where at some point i realized this is wrong. When i go over memories of me getting the stuff i wanted my sisters eyes pop up, and they look sad man.. I ruined her childhood. I just wanna roll into a
    via u/flameodude
  • 15
    mealdealfromtesco • 21h My dad stopped paying for my bills when I was around 25, and although I was working, all my income was disposable. One day I guess he said enough is enough and I suddenly realised that my wage was barely enough to live on, let alone go out for brunch, drinks, buy designer clothes and all the rest. Whilst I am forever appreciative of how much he helped me and for how long he supported me, I wish he had pulled back earlier. I learnt lessons later than all my peers, and when
    via u/mealdealfromtesco
  • 16
    Chiya77 • 21h Went to boarding school at 10, shared a room & one bathroom with 20 other girls & realised no one was going to conform to my morning & bedtime routines. Also I was unpopular because I really was an odd little bird. Really was a smack in the mouth, both literally & figuratively. To this day I love my own space but I get on really well with people, even when I have to fake it.
    via u/Chiya77
  • 17
    donner_dinner party • 21h Having a disabled child. I was an only child with a supportive dad and stay at home mom and I had a great childhood with very few responsibilities. When my first child was diagnosed with multiple lifelong disabilities I knew I had to grow up and put her first and be her advocate. It has made me a better person for sure.
    via u/donner_dinner_party
  • 18
    Goosfrabbah - 20h I wasn't spoiled, my parents provided a very average middle class upbringing, but being from the SF Bay Area, the value of the house my parents had bought in the 1970s had skyrocketed over time. After watching Fresh Prince of Bel Air one day, I ran downstairs to my dad who was sitting on the ground, sweating from hours of pulling weeds from his garden and said, "Dad, you should become a millionaire so we can have a butler!" And he just looked at me and said, "Goosfrabbah, I am
    via u/Goosfrabbah
  • 19
    allisongivler 20h ● Parents have always made good money, but I had no comprehension of what that meant growing up. Basically whatever I wanted I got (within reason of course, I wasn't obnoxious or rotten about it). But once I got my own apartment in college and had to pay my own rent and such it was very eye opening just how expensive I was used to living. Like my parents don't look at prices when they grocery shop and my mom will just decide to redecorate a room every couple of years and that s
    via u/allisongivler
  • 20
    JDDinVA 18h ● I failed out of an rich kid private college and the only place that admitted me was night school at a large public university. For the first time I was surrounded by working class people who were busting their assess to improve their lives, working one or two jobs while going to school. Changed my perspective. That and a couple girlfriends (one now my wife) who were the first in their family to go to college who kicked the rich kid arrogance out of my sorry ass.
    via u/JDDinVA

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expectations vs reality askreddit reddit story realization privilege check wealth rich kids privilege reality spoiled rich people reddit thread Reddit money
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