Ways That A Domineering Parent Can Disrupt A Child's Development

A parent with a strong, domineering personality may not be aware that the manner in which he or she acts can be problematic for family members. Children, in particular, can experience difficulties as they grow because of a domineering parent. The result may be that your child needs to seek counseling with a therapist who specializes in childhood emotional trauma. Even if the child wasn't abused in any manner, his or her parent's approach to parenting can leave psychological wounds that take extensive counseling to fix. Here are some ways that this type of parent can cause problems for his or her child.

The Child Can Feel He/She Is Always Wrong

When a domineering parent makes decisions for the child, answers for him or her, and acts in other similar ways, the child can begin to think that he or she is always wrong. The thought process can be something such as, "If Dad always tells me what to do, that must be because he doesn't think I'll know what to do on my own — and maybe that's true." Even if the parent is attempting to help and support the child by being involved in this manner, the result can be detrimental.

The Child Has Trouble Making Decisions

Domineering parents will often make decisions for the family, rarely giving their children a chance to offer their opinions on a variety of topics, including what to do, what to eat, and even what to watch on TV. While it can be easy for the child to sit back and have the parent make important and unimportant decisions, this can be a problematic situation as the child ages. At some point, he or she will need to make decisions on his or her own — but may struggle to do so. Something as simple as choosing what to get from the vending machine at high school may be difficult because such decisions were always made by the parent.

The Child May Develop A Low Self-Worth

A domineering parent often sends a silent message that the child isn't good enough. The child may believe that if his or her parent presides over the child's life to this extent, it's possibly because the parent is better and the child is inferior. As a result, the child's self-worth may suffer considerably; he or she could struggle with self-esteem issues throughout school, and these problems may be pervasive into adulthood unless the child is able to attend counseling to get help.

For more information, contact companies like Carewright Clinical Services.

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