At what point does accepting help become taking advantage?

Part of being a good family member is offering the right kind of support when a relative falls on hard times. It isn’t always the most convenient or easy option, but it is an important lifeline to those whom you supposedly care about. Seeing people through good times and bad is what supportive families do.

However, when relatives do not offer help or choose to rescind it, they often have very good reasons for doing so. Some individuals can’t help but take advantage of the kindness displayed by those closest to them and twist it into something that causes upset and arguments. Generosity is important, but so is gratitude. Acting entitled to a privilege that is borrowed is a sure-fire way to annoy a family member who was being nice.

Unfortunately, those who take things too far when accepting family help usually aren’t willing to take responsibility for their actions when problems inevitably arise. They believe that they are owed certain things just because they’re related, or they have no problem in acting that way. It is a frustrating state of mind to have to deal with from the outside.