Angie was brought up by rigid, authoritarian parents who kept her on a tight leash. They rarely considered her feelings about anything, showing a complete lack of empathy and compassion for her feelings and desires. If she came home five minutes late from school or from an activity, she was punished. Yelling and hitting were their favorite forms of punishment.
Angie was a good girl. She did well in school and did what she was told, but was often sad and lonely and never felt important. When she married and had her own children, she knew that she didn't want to treat her children the way she had been treated. She wanted to consider their feelings and needs. She wanted them to feel valued and important.
Angie was a very loving mother. She spent lots of time with her children, playing with them, listening to them, and giving them much affection and approval. However, because it was so vital to Angie that her children feel valued and important, she often put herself aside and gave in to their demands. Because Angie had never felt important, it was easy to put herself aside. She actually believed that her children's feelings and needs were more important than hers. As a result, Angie swung the other way from her own upbringing and became a permissive parent.
The consequences for Angie of authoritarian parenting was that she didn't value herself. The results for her children of permissive parenting was that her children grew up with entitlement issues, thinking they were more important than others, and often not being caring and respectful toward others.
Neither authoritarian nor permissive parenting is loving parenting. Loving parenting is parenting that values both the parents' and the children's feelings and needs. Loving parents do not attempt to control their children ? other than in actual situations of health and safety - nor do they allow their children to control them. They do not violate their children with anger, blame, or hitting, nor do they allow their children to violate them. They do not expect their children to give themselves for others, nor do they give themselves up for their children.
Loving parents are parents who deeply value themselves enough to not worry about being rejected by their children. They are willing to set solid limits on unacceptable behavior and are not available to being manipulated by their children. Their identities are not tied into their children's performance in school or in other activities, such as sports. Nor are their identities tied up in how their children look. They are accepting of who their children are as individuals, even when their children are very different from them. They do not impose their way of being onto their children, yet at the same time they solidly reinforce a value system that includes honesty, integrity, caring, compassion, kindness and empathy.
As much as we want to be loving parents, unless we have done our own inner work to heal our own deep fears of rejection and domination, we will automatically be acting out of these fears without being consciously aware of it. If you grew up with fears of rejection and/or domination, you will automatically protect against these fears in your relationships with your children. You may find yourself trying to control them out of a fear of being controlled or rejected by them. You might be controlling with your anger or with your giving in and giving yourself up. Fears of rejection can manifest with children through trying to control them with anger, or through trying to control their love through giving yourself up to them. Fears of domination can manifest through controlling them with anger or violence to avoid being controlled by them. Insecurities can manifest through attempting to get your children to perform in the way you want in order to define your worth.
In one way or another, whatever is unhealed within you will surface in your behavior with your children. Raising healthy children means first healing the wounded child within you ? the part of you that has your fears and insecurities, and your desire to protect against rejection and domination.
Our society has swung back and forth between authoritarian and permissive parenting and the result of both is far less than desirable. We have only to look at the number of people taking antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs, as well as the number of alcoholics and drug addicts, as well as the rise of crime and the number of people in prisons, to know that neither method works to raise healthy individuals.
Perhaps it is time to accept that we need to be in the process of healing ourselves before becoming parents.
About The Author
Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?" She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or http://www.innerbonding.com. Phone sessions available.
Airbnb cleaning service Glenview ..Lets face it becoming a mum is a bit of... Read More
Ah, potty training! Go to a local bookseller and you... Read More
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Results of the Spanking Poll on Rexanne.com: Voters - 233Percentage... Read More
Here's a scene: A parent "might suddenly grab a happliy... Read More
An estimated five million scooters will be sold this year... Read More
My kids ask me all the time to take them... Read More
Children bombard parents with many challenging behaviours. We are delighted... Read More
As a parent, you can learn a lot about your... Read More
It is not the divorce but the conflict arising after... Read More
Even as a busy parent, I'm sure you've seen a... Read More
During the assessment process it is of great importance for... Read More
Many times, we are so conditioned in how we speak... Read More
Identity and Your Fraternal TwinFor the most part, throughout this... Read More
This may come as a surprise.But despite all the advances... Read More
Every parent wants their child to develop positive character traits.... Read More
When your child shows signs of potty training readiness, it's... Read More
On a recent Saturday evening, I noticed a young teen-age... Read More
Each child carries a unique picture of the self, shaped... Read More
Suppose that you rearrange your life to homeschool your child... Read More
1. Diapers (5 -7 is a fairly safe supply)2. Wipes3.... Read More
Did you know that you are the most important person... Read More
Children do what feels good to them and follow their... Read More
Although, not a well publicized statistic, childhood obesity has more... Read More
Demanding children ? children who have entitlement issues ? seem... Read More
Last night Tom's daughter, Sue, came out of her room... Read More
efficient cleaning crew Highland Park ..Does this sound familiar? Have your kids not listened to... Read More
"Now don't you go getting any ideas, Harold.""Don't you get... Read More
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Results of the Spanking Poll on Rexanne.com: Voters - 233Percentage... Read More
In stepfamilies, big holiday expectations can lead to big disappointment--and... Read More
Many children who suffer from the psychological effects of child... Read More
In the news, we hear and see an increasing number... Read More
"No thank you. Don't bother to send me the report... Read More
Recently, a much-anticipated game of mini-golf with my children soon... Read More
The hot new reality TV show "Nanny 911" has been... Read More
As I sit here and reflect on the past two... Read More
Just the other day, I was talking to some other... Read More
Very often, new parents rely on a parenting tip or... Read More
Q. We are getting to the stage with our kids... Read More
This past holiday season Canadians spent over $45 billion-with parents... Read More
Ask any teacher or adolescent counselor what the most disturbing... Read More
Dear Sir, It was with some interest that I read... Read More
A great many parents are concerned that the electronic games... Read More
Home schooling benefits children. As a parent, I feel it... Read More
Lead is one of the most dangerous toxins a person... Read More
Over a number of years there have been issues raised... Read More
As the flurry of Back to School activities subside, parents... Read More
Many of us have grown up drinking caffeinated diet sodas... Read More
As the new school year begins, parents play a pivotal... Read More
The brightly colored plastic mobile dangles lazily overhead in the... Read More
Children are notoriously bad at drinking enough liquids. They are... Read More
Parenting |