The consequences of being overbearing parents

As parents we can get confused between having authority with being authoritarian. That is why it is necessary to clarify that being an authoritative parent is not the same as being an authoritative parent, and also that to be the authority it is not necessary to be authoritarian.

To clarify the differentiation, an authoritative parent is one who listens to their child, their opinions and thoughts regarding the rules. This parent encourages their autonomy and respects their ideas, and in turn has a firm grip on the rules and boundaries at home.

An authoritative parent, on the other hand, focuses heavily on the child's obedience. The relationship in the home is one of power and communication is based on asserting this power through discipline. Authoritarian parents are characterized by establishing many and very rigid rules, with no room for discussion with the children. Lack of dialogue and excessive punishment is common in these homes.

Authoritarian parenting is detrimental to the development of children. They can bring many undesirable consequences when growing up. Here we share some with you:

1 Shy and withdrawn children

Children of authoritarian parents are usually fearful and introverted children, meaning that they never take risks in situations where there is an authority figure, such as at school or at home, always for fear of doing something wrong.

2 Angry, aggressive children

On the other hand, they can also be more aggressive children, since the authoritarian form of education does not favor the development of emotional management and self-knowledge in children. This means that the child behaves well to avoid punishment, and not because they have been able to manage their emotions and control them.

4 Uncommunicative children

This can be very problematic, as the authoritarian form of education does not leave much room for personal development in children, as all their decisions are made by their parents. This causes them to always refrain from communicating what they think and feel, because they believe it has no value or importance.

6 Future Authoritarian Adults

We have surely heard that we tend to repeat learned patterns when we are adults. That is why the consequences of this authoritarian educational style not only affect in childhood, but also influences the construction of a personality and beliefs for the rest of adult life.

Therefore, as parents we must seek balance in the education of our children, because no doubt we want them to be integral and emotionally stable people when they grow up. We must first understand that from love we can provide a completely balanced education between assertive communication and authority, remembering that we are not perfect and that as humans, we make mistakes.