Parenting is hard. While parents only want the best for their kids, sometimes they employ harsh tactics that have the opposite effect on their child’s mental well-being.
Here are 5 common toxic parenting traits that need to be changed ASAP:
1) Exhibiting love and affection as a reward
Many parents withhold their endearment from their children until they achieve something they deem worthy of their love. If they kids don’t, they are cold and withdrawn, not showing pride in their kid’s actions. This is extremely toxic and will only have adverse affects on a child’s self esteem.
2) Breaching your child’s privacy
Many parents struggle to give their kids space, especially as they grow older. They rummage through their backpacks or look through their diaries to extract information about their personal lives. Children do not react well under constant scrutiny. It can lead to a child feeling suffocated inside their own home. Instead, parents should create a safe space where their children can feel comfortable enough to discuss their private lives with them.
3) Being overly critical of your child
It’s not wrong to chase perfection, but the practice can quickly become an overbearing burden if not regulated. Motivate your kids instead of adding loads of pressure to achieve the very best. Let them know it’s okay to fail. Often, the strive to be perfect can lead to detrimental effects on a child’s emotional well-being and in the worst cases it can even lead to suicide.
4) Physical violence
Spanking, berating, ridiculing in the name of “discipline,” is not okay. Children start fearing and resenting their own parents and they gradually withdraw themselves both physically and emotionally.
5) Not allowing kids to ask questions or express their feelings
Many parents draw a rigid line that states – their say is the final say. They do not allow their children to question their choice or express their emotions and aggressively shut them down if they do. Often times this has the opposite effect on a child. They develop an aversion towards authority and begin to disrespect their parents.