Unfortunately, some parents go beyond simple mistakes and carry out toxic behaviors that seriously harm their child's growth and emotional health, because the figure of a father can mark the future of his child and is, together with the mother, the most important educational agent for Item. Are there toxic parents? And, more importantly, what effects can their behaviors and poor parenting styles have on their children's fragile psyches?
But also: what are the harmful behaviors of parents towards their children? What are the toxic behaviors of parents? Below you can find the 15 most common characteristics of toxic parents.
1. Too Demanding:
There are some parents who are too demanding with their own children and who do not tolerate their failures. These critical parents are too perfectionistic and expect their children to do everything well, and think that the way to achieve it is by reminding them of their mistakes over and over again.
This type of behavior can cause serious problems for their descendants in the future and, sometimes, the psychological and emotional damage that can accompany them for the rest of their lives. One of the causes of this behavior can be the low self-esteem of the father, a tremendous feeling of inferiority, and even a perfectionist personality.
2. Manipulators:
Despite the fact that many parents have exemplary behavior with their children, there are others who, consciously or unconsciously, have a manipulative attitude and deeply damage their children, because, sometimes, they cannot escape from them. They are parents who, in addition, tend to have this type of behavior with other individuals and, therefore, their own children suffer from their toxic behaviors as well.
Manipulative people are experts in detecting the weaknesses of others to stealthily bring them to their own ground. In addition, they usually do not stop until they achieve their goal, they are insatiable and usually have a great need for control.
3. Authoritarian, Little Tolerant, And Intransigent:
Authoritarian parents are those who force their children to behave in a certain way without taking into account their needs and emotions. They are intolerant and inflexible and make them feel bad, even being aggressive when their children do not act as they wish. This includes taking things out of context and acting disproportionately on many occasions.
They are parents who show little communication with their children and try to raise obedient children, but also very dependent. Being not very affectionate, their children often end up being not very happy or spontaneous.
4. Physical And Verbal Abusers:
As much as it is hard for some of us to believe that there are parents who mistreat their children, they do exist. Some of these use physical violence at specific times and others more often. Some of them use verbal violence: speaking in bad manners and giving insults. Abusive parents create serious problems in their children's self-esteem and cause damage that can be difficult to erase from memory.
5. Too Critical:
There are demanding parents, as we have said, but, in addition, it is also possible to find overly critical parents. They are parents who rarely praise their children and are usually not aware that they do not know that with their continuous reproaches they end up reinforcing the bad behavior that they intend to correct. Criticizing brings with it judgment, censorship, and condemnation, and this makes children defensive and responds with hostility and mistrust.
6. Little Affectionate:
Children need to feel the affection of their parents, especially when they feel alone. The affection of the home can help get through bad times and creates affective bonds that the child later learns. Family models that are not based on affection and trust can cause problems in the interpersonal relationships of children in the future.
7. Not Very Communicative:
Communication is basic in interpersonal relationships because it can avoid many conflicts. But in the case of the father-son relationship, it is especially necessary because it can help the son feel loved and it is necessary for his correct education. Uncommunicative parents avoid having conversations with their children and do not take their needs into account. In fact, parents should be mindful not only of what they say, when they say it, and how they say it, but they should also be adept at actively listening to their children.
8. You Blame Your Children For Your Own Failures Or Frustrations:
Some parents are not comfortable with their own lives, for example, because they feel like a failure at their job. As a consequence, their self-esteem may be low and they may be quite irritable and not very patient. These parents, in addition, can make the mistake of projecting their failures onto the people around them , especially those close to them, such as their own children.
9. Project Your Fantasies Or Dreams Onto Your Children:
While some may blame their children for their failures, others may project their failed dreams or unfulfilled expectations onto their little ones . In other words, they want their children to live the life that they have not been able to live. For example, forcing them to dance when the children do not enjoy this practice.
10. Overly Protective:
The vast majority of parents want their children to be well and care about them. But some parents turn this behavior into totally toxic behavior . For example, not letting them go out with their friends for a bike ride for fear of having an accident. This causes their children to become insecure and do not develop their own autonomy, and, in addition, they do not let them enjoy their lives.
11. They Do Not Accept Their Friendships:
Toxic parents don't accept their children's friendships because they have expectations of who should mingle or not mingle. Either because they don't have a career, because they have tattoos or because they aren't what they want them to be. Parents have to let their children live their lives.
12. They Plan Their Professional Career:
Parents' concern that their children have the life they want can mean that their children end up choosing their professional career based on the tastes of their parents . For example, some children may stand out as artists and may be happy developing their passion, but, instead, they end up studying medicine and dedicating themselves to something that does not make them fully happy. Each one must live a life based on their own dreams and expectations, not reproduce that of their parents.
13. They Are Selfish:
We have all met very selfish people during our lives, but the situation is more complicated when this type of self-centered habits and attitudes are manifested in parents. Selfish parents only think of themselves and cause a lot of suffering in their children who may not feel loved.
14. They Are A Bad Model:
Parents are role models for their children and are the most important role models for their lives, because they see themselves reflected in them and tend to inherit certain habits, customs and even behaviors. When parents do not set an example and are a poor role model, children are at risk of learning harmful behaviors . That without taking into account the emotional damage that can be done to them, for example, if they are alcoholics.
15. They Don't Teach Them Healthy Habits:
The children see themselves reflected in the parents, but it is especially important to know that the parents educate their children when it comes to adopting healthy habits. Parents who do not have a healthy lifestyle send the wrong message to their children, and that can have an effect on their future health.
Not only that, but also when children are very young they are beings at the mercy of their parents. If they feed them poorly, the children may suffer the negative consequences of this behavior. For example, being overweight due to poor eating habits in the family and a sedentary lifestyle.