#parenthood-and-identity

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Parenting
fromwww.businessinsider.com
34 minutes ago

I'm a first-generation Chinese American mom living in LA. A 2-month trip to China made me question where to raise my daughter.

Cultural differences in education can impact children's adaptation and parental feelings during transitions.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
10 hours ago

Nobody teaches children how to know their own worth - we teach them to perform, to achieve, and to behave, and then wonder why so many adults reach fifty still measuring themselves against someone else's ruler - Silicon Canals

Self-worth is inherent and not based on achievements or external validation.
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
6 hours ago

Psychology says people who were told they were gifted as children often grow into adults who avoid challenges - because their identity was built on being naturally good, not on getting better - Silicon Canals

Labeling children as 'gifted' can hinder their growth by tying their self-worth to innate talent rather than effort and improvement.
Relationships
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

There's a generation of men who were taught that providing was the same as loving. And there's a generation of their children who spent years in therapy learning that those aren't the same thing, only to reach an age where they finally understand that for their fathers, inside the architecture they were given, it was. - Silicon Canals

Emotional estrangement between fathers and children stems from generational differences in expressing love and vulnerability.
#motherhood
Women
fromwww.businessinsider.com
1 day ago

I left my career to be a stay-at-home mom. I didn't expect to lose my identity.

A career change to stay home with children can lead to unexpected emotional and financial challenges.
Parenting
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

The Ecology of Motherhood

Motherhood mirrors ecological resilience, requiring acceptance of transformation and recovery through challenges akin to natural processes like fire and regeneration.
NYC parents
fromBig Think
5 days ago

The quiet disappearance of the free-range childhood

Child protective services investigated a couple after their son rode his scooter to a nearby playground alone, leading to a finding of neglect.
Education
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

Building Perseverance: How to Raise Children Who Stick with It

Children's lack of follow-through is often due to underdeveloped perseverance skills, not laziness or lack of intelligence.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
19 hours ago

People who clean before the cleaner arrives, apologize when someone bumps into them, and pre-explain before anyone has asked for a justification all grew up in homes where taking up space without earning it first was treated as an act of aggression. - Silicon Canals

Cleaning before the cleaner reflects a deeper issue of feeling unworthy of help without prior justification.
#family-dynamics
Relationships
fromSlate Magazine
2 days ago

I Don't Let Anyone I Date Meet My Parents. That's Not a Red Flag. I Have a Very Good Reason Why.

Some individuals avoid introducing partners to difficult family members to protect them from negative experiences.
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago
Parenting

Did My Mom Really Love One of Us More Than the Other?

The favored child dynamic shifted dramatically during adolescence, leading to feelings of rebellion and alienation.
Relationships
fromSlate Magazine
2 days ago

I Don't Let Anyone I Date Meet My Parents. That's Not a Red Flag. I Have a Very Good Reason Why.

Some individuals avoid introducing partners to difficult family members to protect them from negative experiences.
Parenting
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

Did My Mom Really Love One of Us More Than the Other?

The favored child dynamic shifted dramatically during adolescence, leading to feelings of rebellion and alienation.
Mental health
fromIndependent
1 day ago

Asking for a friend: 'My son has just been diagnosed with autism and ADHD. My husband also got tested and has ADHD. How will all this affect our relationship?'

Navigating the challenges of neurodiversity in a family can be overwhelming, especially with multiple diagnoses affecting communication and relationships.
Women
fromIndependent
1 day ago

Katriona O'Sullivan: My children would say that I love them, but I do not think they would describe me as nurturing - and I feel bad about that

54% of Irish respondents believe women are naturally better at childcare than men.
#parenting
Parenting
fromSilicon Canals
4 hours ago

Research suggests the 1960s and 70s produced adults who could self-soothe, entertain themselves, and tolerate boredom - not because their parents were wise but because their parents were simply elsewhere - Silicon Canals

Modern parenting emphasizes structured activities, contrasting sharply with past generations' unstructured play, which may have fostered resilience and independence in children.
Parenting
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Psychology says parents who can't stop helping their adult children aren't being loving - they're unconsciously protecting themselves from the terror of becoming unnecessary - Silicon Canals

Parental overinvolvement may stem from a fear of irrelevance rather than solely from love.
Parenting
fromPsychology Today
1 day ago

When Your Adult Child Says 'I Hate You' and Then Wants Money

Emotional outbursts from adult children often stem from overload, and parents should change their responses to reset dynamics.
Parenting
fromSlate Magazine
1 day ago

My Daughter Made an Honest Mistake While Babysitting Her Cousins. My Sister Is Taking It Too Far.

Beatrice should take responsibility for her actions and communicate with her aunt about the incident.
Parenting
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

I'm 66 and I recently told my son that I was proud of him for the first time in his adult life, and the look on his face told me everything about the cost of assuming that providing for someone communicates the same thing as telling them they matter - Silicon Canals

Verbal expressions of pride are crucial for emotional connection between parents and children.
Parenting
fromSilicon Canals
4 hours ago

Research suggests the 1960s and 70s produced adults who could self-soothe, entertain themselves, and tolerate boredom - not because their parents were wise but because their parents were simply elsewhere - Silicon Canals

Modern parenting emphasizes structured activities, contrasting sharply with past generations' unstructured play, which may have fostered resilience and independence in children.
Parenting
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Psychology says parents who can't stop helping their adult children aren't being loving - they're unconsciously protecting themselves from the terror of becoming unnecessary - Silicon Canals

Parental overinvolvement may stem from a fear of irrelevance rather than solely from love.
Relationships
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

7 Words Adult Children Say Before Cutting Off Parents

Disconnection often begins quietly, with feelings of not being understood leading to significant relationship breakdowns.
Parenting
fromPsychology Today
1 day ago

When Your Adult Child Says 'I Hate You' and Then Wants Money

Emotional outbursts from adult children often stem from overload, and parents should change their responses to reset dynamics.
Parenting
fromSlate Magazine
1 day ago

My Daughter Made an Honest Mistake While Babysitting Her Cousins. My Sister Is Taking It Too Far.

Beatrice should take responsibility for her actions and communicate with her aunt about the incident.
Parenting
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

I'm 66 and I recently told my son that I was proud of him for the first time in his adult life, and the look on his face told me everything about the cost of assuming that providing for someone communicates the same thing as telling them they matter - Silicon Canals

Verbal expressions of pride are crucial for emotional connection between parents and children.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
7 hours ago

The hardest thing about being the calm one in a family is that your steadiness becomes load-bearing. Everyone leans on it, nobody asks what holds it up, and the day you finally crack, people don't comfort you. They panic. Because your collapse threatens the architecture, and the architecture was always more important than you were. - Silicon Canals

The calm family member often bears the burden of emotional labor, managing others' feelings while suppressing their own.
Relationships
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

Psychology says people who drop their friends as soon as they get into a new relationship aren't choosing love over friendship - they're revealing that the friendships were always filling a need the relationship now fills, and the difference between a friend and a placeholder is something most people only discover when the relationship arrives and the friends quietly disappear - Silicon Canals

Friendships often fade when one partner enters a romantic relationship, revealing the superficial nature of some connections.
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
4 days ago

I grew up in the 1970s and the closest thing I had to therapy was my uncle telling me to 'walk it off' after I broke my collarbone - and that phrase became my entire emotional philosophy for the next fifty years - Silicon Canals

Some emotional wounds cannot be healed by simply ignoring them; they require acknowledgment and processing.
Parenting
fromPsychology Today
10 hours ago

Coercive Control: How Predatory Parents Fracture Attachment

Coercive control weaponizes children against protective parents, causing deep psychological harm and undermining secure attachments essential for healthy development.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

Psychology suggests people who adopt their parents' bad traits as they get older aren't becoming their parents - they're reverting to the most deeply installed operating system they have, the one that was running before they were old enough to choose a different one, and stress, age, and the slow erosion of self-monitoring are simply the conditions under which it boots back up - Silicon Canals

Behavioral patterns from childhood can resurface under stress, revealing deep-rooted psychological templates formed from early experiences.
Philosophy
fromApaonline
6 days ago

Let Kids Be Kids? The Ethics of Maximizing Children's Talents

Children are increasingly pushed to maximize their athletic talent from a very young age, often at the expense of social and academic development.
Relationships
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

The most painful version of not belonging isn't being rejected by strangers. It's sitting at your own family's dinner table, surrounded by people who share your last name, and feeling like you're watching the evening through glass. - Silicon Canals

Belonging can exist alongside profound loneliness, where one feels unseen even in the presence of family and friends.
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
6 days ago

I grew up with a mother who was physically there but emotionally unreachable - and the confusion that produced, the child's inability to grieve a parent who is standing right in front of them, is the thing I have spent the most years in therapy trying to untangle and the thing I understood least for the longest - Silicon Canals

Emotional absence from a present parent can lead to profound feelings of unworthiness in a child.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

Psychology says people who feel like they've been living someone else's life aren't confused or ungrateful - they're often the ones who were so good at adapting in childhood that they never stopped adapting long enough to find out who they actually were - Silicon Canals

Adapting to others' needs in childhood can lead to feeling disconnected and lost in adulthood.
Education
fromSilicon Canals
2 weeks ago

I asked a group of people in their 70s what they'd un-learn if they could and every single one named something they were taught before age 10 - not a fact, not a skill, a belief about themselves that was installed by a specific person in a specific room, and the fact that it's still running 60 years later without their permission is the thing that made half the room go quiet - Silicon Canals

Beliefs installed in childhood by authority figures persist into adulthood, shaping decisions and self-perception for decades without conscious awareness or permission.
Relationships
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

I'm 73 and my husband asked me what makes me happy and I gave him the answer I thought he wanted to hear - our kids, our grandkids, our home - but the real answer is I genuinely don't know anymore because I've spent forty years editing my joy to fit other people's expectations - Silicon Canals

Editing joy to fit others' expectations can lead to losing sight of what truly makes one happy.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

Children who were praised for being smart rather than for working hard often become adults who avoid challenges - not from laziness but from a deep fear of being found ordinary - Silicon Canals

Praising children for being 'smart' can hinder their growth mindset and willingness to take risks.
Parenting
fromPsychology Today
2 days ago

Two Signs You're Raising a Hyper-Sensitive Child

Parenting requires understanding and support for emotionally sensitive children who may react more intensely to situations than their peers.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

The Day I Realized My Son Wasn't Defiant, He Was Ashamed

Understanding a child's emotional state is crucial; shame can manifest as feelings of worthlessness, impacting behavior and communication.
#emotional-unavailability
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago
Relationships

Most people don't realize that children who grow up without affection don't struggle with love as adults. They struggle with trusting it, because it never felt safe to depend on - Silicon Canals

Parenting
fromSilicon Canals
3 weeks ago

Psychology says parents who provided everything materially and nothing emotionally aren't cold - they were loved the same way and genuinely had no idea there was another option - Silicon Canals

Emotionally unavailable parents often substitute material provision and gifts for emotional presence, translating affection into the only language they fluently speak.
Relationships
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

Most people don't realize that children who grow up without affection don't struggle with love as adults. They struggle with trusting it, because it never felt safe to depend on - Silicon Canals

Emotional unavailability stems from a lack of early affection, leading to difficulties in accepting love despite an inherent capacity for it.
Parenting
fromSilicon Canals
3 weeks ago

Psychology says parents who provided everything materially and nothing emotionally aren't cold - they were loved the same way and genuinely had no idea there was another option - Silicon Canals

Emotionally unavailable parents often substitute material provision and gifts for emotional presence, translating affection into the only language they fluently speak.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
8 hours ago

Why Today's Young Men Seem Trapped

Young men face a crisis of identity, struggling with anxiety, depression, and confusion about manhood due to societal pressures and lack of personal power.
Parenting
fromFast Company
2 days ago

Parents: A valuable source of AI intelligence

AI-assisted parenting tools are being developed by parents who understand the real challenges of childcare.
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
6 days ago

Children who were called 'the responsible one' often became adults who can't rest without guilt - not because they love productivity but because somewhere a five-year-old version of them still believes that if they stop holding everything together it will all fall apart - Silicon Canals

Freedom from responsibility can feel terrifying after a lifetime of being the responsible one.
Parenting
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Children raised in the 1960s and 70s developed their resilience the same way muscle develops under resistance - not by being protected from the load but by being required to carry it, repeatedly, without assistance, until the carrying became the unremarkable default rather than the exceptional achievement - Silicon Canals

Independence and resilience were fostered in children of the '60s and '70s through unstructured play and learning from failure.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
22 hours ago

The hardest part of growing up lower middle class wasn't the lack of money. It was learning to want things quietly, because visible desire in a household running on tight margins felt like an accusation against the people who were already giving everything they had. - Silicon Canals

Emotional training around scarcity shapes behavior in lower middle class childhoods, teaching children to suppress desires to avoid adding stress to their families.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

Psychology says people who grew up poor and became successful often can't fully enjoy it - not because they're ungrateful, but because some part of them never stopped waiting for it to disappear - Silicon Canals

Successful individuals often struggle with feelings of scarcity and anxiety about their financial stability, despite their achievements.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

9 subtle behaviors that reveal someone grew up in a household where money was discussed in whispers, and why those behaviors persist long after financial security has arrived - Silicon Canals

Financial behaviors are shaped by early experiences and trauma, not just knowledge or information gaps about money.
Relationships
fromSlate Magazine
2 weeks ago

My Needy Aunt Is Back in My Life. Now She's Got Her Eyes on My Daughter.

Navigating family relationships can be challenging, especially when expectations and memories differ between generations.
fromSlate Magazine
3 days ago

An Acclaimed Scientist Brought Attachment Theory to the Masses-and the Masses Completely Misunderstood It. His New Book Sets the Record Straight.

"Attached explains the basics of adult attachment theory, the psychological principle that categorizes people into four categories based on the way they relate to others."
Psychology
Parenting
fromPsychology Today
2 days ago

Can Breastfeeding Reduce the Risk for Postpartum Depression?

Postpartum depression and breastfeeding have a complex relationship, with unmet breastfeeding expectations increasing the risk of maternal depression.
#child-development
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 week ago

People who were labeled 'the easy child' often became adults who confuse having no needs with being low maintenance, and the difference between those two things is about thirty years of unasked questions - Silicon Canals

Easy children often grow into adults who suppress their needs, leading to quiet suffering despite appearing content.
Parenting
fromScary Mommy
3 days ago

Is Your Kid's Friend A Good Influence? Experts Share 6 Green Flags

Positive friendships build confidence and happiness in children, providing essential support throughout their development.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 week ago

People who were labeled 'the easy child' often became adults who confuse having no needs with being low maintenance, and the difference between those two things is about thirty years of unasked questions - Silicon Canals

Easy children often grow into adults who suppress their needs, leading to quiet suffering despite appearing content.
Parenting
fromScary Mommy
3 days ago

Is Your Kid's Friend A Good Influence? Experts Share 6 Green Flags

Positive friendships build confidence and happiness in children, providing essential support throughout their development.
Parenting
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

The most painful thing about watching a parent age isn't the physical decline. It's the moment you catch them deferring to you on a decision they would have made without hesitation ten years ago, and you both feel the transfer of authority that neither of you agreed to. - Silicon Canals

The real challenge of aging parents lies in the subtle shifts of authority and uncertainty in their decision-making.
Parenting
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

What, Exactly, Expectant Dads Fear in the Delivery Room

Expectant fathers often experience fear of childbirth, feeling helpless in the delivery room despite their desire to support their partners.
Parenting
fromPsychology Today
4 days ago

6 Types of Leadership and Parenting Styles: What's Yours?

Leadership styles in work and parenting vary, with a balanced approach being the most effective for clear expectations and support.
fromMail Online
6 days ago

Having children DOESN'T make you happy, study claims

'These results do not support our hypothesis that parenthood is positively associated with hedonic wellbeing (levels of positive emotions) and life satisfaction,' the researchers, from the University of Nicosia in Cyprus, wrote.
Parenting
#parentification
fromSilicon Canals
3 weeks ago
Psychology

I raised my younger siblings more than I parented my own children because by the time I had kids I'd already used up something - a patience, a vigilance, a willingness to carry - that most new parents still have fresh. And nobody in my family has ever connected those two things. - Silicon Canals

fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago
Psychology

People who were praised for being mature as children often become adults who have no idea what they actually want - Silicon Canals

fromSilicon Canals
3 weeks ago
Psychology

I raised my younger siblings more than I parented my own children because by the time I had kids I'd already used up something - a patience, a vigilance, a willingness to carry - that most new parents still have fresh. And nobody in my family has ever connected those two things. - Silicon Canals

fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago
Psychology

People who were praised for being mature as children often become adults who have no idea what they actually want - Silicon Canals

Parenting
fromTravel + Leisure
4 days ago

I'm Child-Free by Choice-Here's What I Learned on My First Trip with a Baby

Luciana, nicknamed Peach, is cherished by her family, highlighting the joys of being an aunt and the choice to remain child-free.
Parenting
fromBuzzFeed
6 days ago

Women Are Getting Very, Very Honest About How Their Partner Changed After They Became A Mom

Postpartum experiences reveal varying partner behaviors, ranging from supportive to abusive.
Parenting
fromPsychology Today
5 days ago

Parental Burnout Is a Social Problem, Not a Personal Failure

Parental burnout has reached unprecedented levels, with over 40% of parents feeling exhausted and overwhelmed daily.
Parenting
fromLGBTQ Nation
6 days ago

Adoption is a beautiful way to build a family. But it's not one-size-fits-all. - LGBTQ Nation

Adoption has various paths, each with unique processes, costs, and timelines, requiring thorough understanding before proceeding.
Parenting
fromSilicon Canals
1 week ago

7 behavioral patterns people display when they were raised by a parent who loved them deeply but had no idea how to express it without criticism - Silicon Canals

Critical parents can love deeply yet struggle to express it without criticism, leading to complex emotional patterns in their children.
fromenglish.elpais.com
1 month ago

I don't like my mother': Why do children decide to distance themselves from their parents?

Parents hold a key that grants access to areas of their child's life that no one else can enter a foundational intimacy. However, more and more people are choosing to sever that bond and throw the key away. It's difficult to quantify how many children have decided to stop speaking to their parents, although some studies point to a steady increase in recent years.
Relationships
Parenting
fromPsychology Today
2 weeks ago

A Secret That Some Mothers Will Never Tell

Mothers commonly experience love without liking their children, a stigmatized feeling kept secret due to idealized motherhood expectations that deny natural ambivalence.
Parenting
fromPsychology Today
3 weeks ago

Loving Your Child and Grieving Your Genetics are Separate

Grief over genetic loss and love for a donor-conceived child are separate emotions that can coexist without affecting parental bonding.
fromSlate Magazine
3 weeks ago

I've Always Known What Kind of Person My Mother Is. Unfortunately, My 3-Year-Old Has Figured It Out, Too.

It's easy to get caught up in what we believe we owe our parents. But we shouldn't forget what we owe ourselves, or our children. It's great that your child was able to communicate her discomfort to you. She has let you know that she 'really, really' doesn't want to visit your mom. And now I think she needs you to pay attention to those things.
Parenting
Parenting
fromSilicon Canals
3 weeks ago

I asked 11 parents what their biggest parenting regret is and every single one described something they said rather than something they did - and the consistency of that pattern suggests that children's ears are more precise instruments than parents realize - Silicon Canals

Parents' spoken words create lasting regrets more than their actions, with negative statements profoundly shaping children's self-perception and identity development.
fromScary Mommy
2 months ago

This Mom Says That The Woman With The Happiest Relationships Are "Useless"

"The smartest women with the happiest relationships are the useless women," Dianna Lee begins in her video. "As you can probably tell, I'm a highly capable woman. I'm capable throughout all areas of my life, through my schooling days, to my career, and I attacked my marriage life in exactly the same way. I just executed. I was fast, efficient, and I knew exactly what needed to get done. And in retrospect, it was so wrong."
Relationships
Parenting
fromPsychology Today
3 weeks ago

There's No Such Thing as a Child Expert

No true parenting or child experts exist because children are unique, fallible, and inconsistent individuals; expertise in parenting strategies does not equate to understanding your specific child better than you do.
Parenting
fromSlate Magazine
3 weeks ago

I Feel Comfortable Allowing My Daughter to Do a Common Childhood Errand. My Wife Says It's Unthinkably Dangerous.

Parents must balance legitimate safety concerns with children's need for independence and age-appropriate autonomy in low-risk situations.
fromScary Mommy
3 weeks ago

Boy Mom, Girl Mom, One-And-Done Mom: When Did Parenting Get So Niche?

Very accomplished women were leading with it everywhere: on Instagram, sure, but also in professional bios and embroidered sweatshirts. Founders and bestselling authors were introducing themselves first not by what they had built or accomplished, but by who they had produced.
Parenting
fromSlate Magazine
4 weeks ago

My Boyfriend Is Very Wrong About What Makes Someone a Good Parent. I'm Not Sure I Can Marry Him.

He admires 'tiger parents.' He talks a lot about how the ideal parent is a strict disciplinarian, academically oriented, and pushes kids hard to set them up for future success. He thinks his teachers and his mom let him coast on his ADHD diagnosis, and vows that his kids will not 'get exceptions.' He thinks he would be more successful now if he'd had consistent parental pressure.
Parenting
Parenting
fromSlate Magazine
1 month ago

My 7-Year-Old's Latest Obsession Is Uh, Very Adult. I Definitely Didn't Teach Her That.

A 7-year-old displays adolescent appearance-focused behaviors and attention-seeking performance despite limited screen time, raising parental concern about underlying insecurity and behavioral issues.
Parenting
fromSlate Magazine
1 month ago

I Keep Hearing About One Specific Horrible Part of Being a Parent. There's No Way This Is Real.

Prolonged severe sleep disruption during parenting causes deep exhaustion, fear, and debate over whether night waking is temporary or an enduring aspect of childrearing.
Parenting
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

Parenting and Unconditional Love

Love a child unconditionally, even during their worst moments, while balancing safety and boundaries when serious mental illness affects behavior.
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

Listen to Your Mother: What Children Learn by Eavesdropping

What makes me even crazier is that I know they can listen. I know this because they do all the time, mostly when they aren't supposed to. I can't tell you how many times I've been having an adult conversation with my husband and/or friends and my two children-who haven't listened to a word I've said all day-suddenly have very thoughtful and detailed questions
Parenting
Parenting
fromIndependent
2 months ago

Our daughter only wants her mum - how can I step in to help soothe her and share the load?

Young children often prefer one parent; gently stepping back and rebalancing caregiving duties prevents caregiver burnout and supports children's developing emotional regulation.
Parenting
fromSlate Magazine
1 month ago

My Friends Are Obsessed With Showing Their Love for Their Daughter in a Particular Way. It Makes It Hard on the Rest of Us.

Give focused time and shared experiences instead of more toys; attention and activities create meaningful memories and avoid adding clutter.
Parenting
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago

People who grew up exceptionally independent usually had parents who did these 7 counterintuitive things - Silicon Canals

Hands-off parenting that allowed mistakes and responsibilities fostered lasting independence, self-reliance, and resilience in adulthood.
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