Entitlement, Hope, and Life Satisfaction Among Mothers of Children with Developmental Disabilities.

George-Levi et al. (2021) asked moms of kids with developmental disabilities to fill out three short surveys. The surveys measured how entitled they feel, how hopeful they are, and how satisfied they are with life. The team then used statistics to see if entitlement helps or hurts life satisfaction.

High entitlement only helps when moms also feel high hope. When hope is low, feeling entitled actually lowers life satisfaction. In short, hope is the key ingredient.

Cox et al. (2015) seems to disagree. They found that partner emotional support raises life satisfaction for moms of kids with intellectual disabilities. The difference is focus: Sivan looks inside the mom (hope), R looks outside (partner support). Both can be true—inside and outside resources matter.

Thompson-Hodgetts et al. (2024) extend the story. They interviewed moms raising more than one child with a neurodevelopmental disability. These moms felt both exhausted and empowered at the same time. Sivan’s hope-entitlement combo may explain why some moms turn exhaustion into empowerment.

Yamaoka et al. (2022) used the same quasi-experimental design and also found negative mom outcomes. They linked special-ed placement to poorer health and weaker neighbor ties. Together, the two studies show moms face both psychological and physical risks.

Before you teach parenting skills, check the mom’s hope level. If hope is low, skip lessons on “knowing your rights” or demanding services—it can backfire. Instead, start with small wins that build hope: a single successful teaching trial, a calm bedtime, or a shared laugh. Once hope rises, entitlement can shift from a burden to a fuel for advocacy.