Are You An Emotionally Unavailable Parent? Here Are Some Of The Warning Signs
Some parents make it a priority to meet their children’s physical needs, providing adequate food, shelter, and clothing for their children. They make sure their kids never lack material things or are worried about finances.
They go above and beyond in this aspect but might fail to recognize that kids need more than that to become successful adults. Kids must also have their emotional needs fulfilled.
As a parent, it’s essential to be able to connect with your children emotionally. It’s a way of offering support and building trust, which will strengthen your relationship in the future.
Emotion is a part of effective communication, and children gain these skills by modeling after their parents. But if their parents don’t place an emphasis on emotional health and are emotionally unavailable themselves, kids will struggle later in life.
Being raised by an emotionally unavailable parent can lead to the inability to understand your own needs, or you might find yourself in unstable relationships.
When a child’s emotional needs are neglected, they can develop trauma, which affects them in adulthood. Emotionally unavailable parents don’t respond appropriately to their children’s emotions.
If their child is excited about something, they won’t acknowledge it or join in with their excitement. And if their child is sad about something, they might dismiss their distress.
In the first situation, a child needs to hear encouraging words; in the second, they need comfort. Maybe it doesn’t seem that important, but in reality, it is.
This sort of treatment can lead to a whole host of mental health issues, like depression or PTSD.
Kateryna – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual people
Are you wondering if you’re an emotionally available parent? Here are some of the common warning signs.
- You don’t listen to your child or show interest in their life.
- You don’t celebrate your child’s achievements.
- You have difficulty expressing your feelings.
- You easily show only negative emotions toward your child.
- You aren’t willing to express empathy to your child.
- You make your child feel unimportant because you think your problems are bigger.
Not all these signs may apply to every emotionally unavailable parent out there, but these are core themes you can watch out for.
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