12 Modern Parenting Styles That May End Up Causing The Child More Harm Than Good In The Long Run

Parenting styles today drastically differ from the ones a few decades ago. While most parenting styles stem from love and devotion, some can have harmful side effects, especially when parents aren’t self-aware. Although most parenting styles aim to improve development, some drawbacks can negatively impede a child’s growth:

Overuse Of Technology

Most parents today support sharing screens with their young ones. Although technological advancement has improved knowledge about certain spheres, excessive screen time reduces physical activity. Staying put in front of a screen can impair social skills and attention spans, reducing creativity and imagination, which are essential for cognitive development.

Expecting Perfection

Putting children on a pedestal and setting high expectations can make reaching milestones with healthy mental well-being a challenging task. Children brought up by parents who expect perfection might struggle with anxiety and generate a fear of failing, discouraging them from trying out new things. Such children struggle to thrive because tough parenting stunts their personal growth.

Letting Them Eat Unhealthy

Some parenting styles encourage kids to eat anything they can get their hands on, including typical foods like snacks and fast food. While this tactic is meant to encourage children, it fosters restrictive eating habits and may contribute to poor eating preferences well into adulthood. It also promotes the risk of specific food-related issues like obesity.

Not Teaching Them Basic Manners

This might sound old-fashioned, but neglecting common courtesy and basic manners like saying thank you, please, and welcome and responding correctly when addressed can impact children’s social networking. It teaches them a lack of respect that hinders future relationships and encourages an unlikable personality.

Pushing Them To Do Things

While children need a push to do certain things, constantly observing their performance and redirecting them to specific milestones or activities can cause burnout, which will impact their mental and physical well-being and build resentment. It’s important to let kids feel like they’re making their own decisions to develop confidence naturally.

Showcasing On Social Media

It’s tempting to share one’s loved ones on social media, but sharing details of a child’s life is an invasion of privacy. Since these children can’t consent yet, having their lives and intimate details shared on broad platforms by someone they trust will create resentment and confusion in adulthood.

Using Fear To Discipline Them

Fear has long been a factor in disciplining children, but such orthodox techniques are seeping into modern parenting style. While every parent wants their child to be graceful, using tools like fear can inhibit their confidence and inflict a variety of psychological issues like anxiety and depression, which can have long-term effects.

Neglecting Their Emotions

Too many parents ignore their children’s emotions; some snub their children when they express their feelings or make them feel guilty. It’s important to process a child’s emotions and help them navigate them in a healthy way; otherwise, they risk stunting the child’s emotional development. It also makes children more hesitant to create living bonds.

Unrealistic Expectations

All parents expect their children to do well in life, but setting unrealistic expectations that may not be achievable can overwhelm children and inhibit their self-esteem. It’s important to set healthy milestones that won’t mentally, physically, or emotionally stress children out and actively support their efforts.

Gendered Parenting

Parents who categorize parenting techniques according to gender reinforce traditional stereotypes. Children who grow up with gendered parenting styles learn to resent siblings of the opposite gender due to differences in leniency. It’s important to encourage children to pursue goals and interests instead of focusing on their gender.

Not Giving Space

Most parents think children don’t need privacy, but refusing to give children personal space can create emotions like resentment, frustration, anger, and sadness. Giving children time and space to learn to tackle things independently, solve problems, and develop critical problem-thinking skills is essential. Giving space also encourages children to respect boundaries and develop mutual emotional understanding.

Forcing Their Beliefs On Kids

While it’s often endearing to see children mimic parents’ beliefs, letting children form their identities is essential. Parents should encourage children to question everything so they can develop critical thinking skills and make informed decisions on their own. Imposing personal beliefs onto children can lead to confusion, mistrust, and anger in the long run.