5 toxic parenting behaviours to avoid

As parents, having a positive and healthy relationship with our child is of utmost importance. The perfect parent doesn't exist, many of us may display the behaviours in this post, we may unknowingly try controlling our child, sometimes we may even be critical and emotionally reactive whilst we're with them. I guess with anything in life, these behaviours can become toxic when they're persistent.

The problem is, our young children look to us for absolutely everything, we are their world with no basis for comparison. So if we're consistently displaying one, many or all of these behaviours then this will be their frame of reference as they grow up.

In order to cultivate an emotionally healthy environment for our children, we need to show concern for their feelings. We need to be authentic, we need to apologise when we screw up, we need to acknowledge their emotions, we need to do our best to allow our child to feel seen and heard, and we need to be able to talk about all problems in a respectful way.

Here are 5 behaviours we want to try and avoid displaying too much of towards our child:

1. Self-centred - Always putting your own needs first. Now of course, self-care is so important and it certainly isn't selfish, but this is just a note if we're always putting our own needs before our childs.

2. Emotionally reactive - You struggle to control your emotions to the point where you are unpredictable and always overreacting. 

3. Critical - Nothing your child does is good enough and you’ll find fault in almost anything. 

4. Manipulative - You twist the truth to make yourself look good. You use guilt and denial to get your own way.

5. Controlling - You always need the upper hand. You exert power and control using things like money and guilt. You tell your child what to do, and expect them to do it when and how you say so.

I hope some of you are able to take something positive away from this post.

Cheers all. Tom, TheDadVibes.com <3