American Children are phenomenally spoiled

So today, a child comes in with his mother/grandmother (she looked old enough to be his grandmother but seemed via overheard conversation to his mother) to look at train toys. They walk around for awhile, and he likes all the train toys and wants them all. She beckons him to leave the store so they can "get some money" - I'm assuming that this is a ploy to get him out the door until he forgets about the toys.

Sure enough, they come back with the "money," which is apparently his older sister (this kid is about 4, the sister looked like she was my age, something is wrong with this family) who has cash in hand. She gets him the most expensive train set in the place ($20) but the child is not satisfies with that. He insists that he needs not one, not two, but THREE pull-back engines (ignoring the fact that we only have two colors). They try to get him out the door without them, but he says "I need these, I need these!" and whines a little bit.

Now, if I'm this parent, I would say "I already got you one, and we have to go now," pick up the screaming, non-verbal small person and haul him out, because buying things is not the most important thing in life and children need to know the difference between needing something and wanting something. Apparently this is a bygone view. The Mom tells the Sister that she'll pay her back for the engines, and buys him two, one in each color. He trots out happily with them.

What has the child learned from this experience? He's learned that with a little whining, people in charge will give him what he wants. I see unfounded feelings of entitlement and a bad work ethic and life attitude in his future. Congrats, family. You've made a 4 year old happy, and are spoiling what could've been a smart, helpful, and productive adut.