As a parent, you should be careful about the style of parenting you adopt since a child is still developing both emotionally and mentally. There are various disadvantages of strict parenting. These effects are not only short-term but long-term as well.
One thing to keep in mind is that there is no one right or overall parenting style that works across the board. Children are human beings and the way human beings are different, so are children. As a parent, it’s your responsibility to identify and adopt the parenting style that works best for your child depending on his or her unique personality.
Strict parenting does more damage than benefit to children. A child will try as much as possible not to get into trouble with their parents. As much as parents want to control their children, they need to adopt an effective way that won’t be harmful to their children’s development or any negative effect later in life. Strict parenting is not the only way you can get your child to respect you, there is a more effective way such as speaking to them with compassion and love.
Strict parenting increases the risk of depression
This is at the top of the disadvantages of strict parenting.
Just as adults, children are prone to depression and anxiety disorders. A child whose parents are strict may sometimes feel inadequate or rather sad because they deem their families to have some form of defect. Due to this, these children feel like they don’t belong there hence end up feeling unhappy and uneasy.
It becomes impossible for children to thrive in such an environment. The feeling of being unloved and uncared for makes the child’s environment harsh and unhealthy in general. As a result, a child becomes depressed.
Strict parenting lowers a child’s self-esteem
Research has shown that children whose parents have full control over them have low self-esteem. This greatly damages a child’s confidence level.
Since the parent is the one who dictates what a child should do and how a child feels worthless. This becomes the overall view of the child on own self hence misjudging his or her abilities and limitations. As a result, a child will not be aware of his or her self-worth and personal value.
Strict parenting makes a child a bully
Strict parents are authoritative. Since there is no one close to telling the child that bullying is bad, they will end up doing it. This is because they are used to bullying and doing so themselves gives them control and power – things they have never had and only their parents had full possession of.
The environment that a child has been raised in plays a big role in how a child will end up, concerning personality and character. If a child is brought up in a strict household, they will end up being more controlling and yelling hence more likely to bully other children.
Strict parenting leads to poor communication
Communication among parents and their children should be two-way. If children do not perceive their parents as open or warm, communication between the two will not be effective. This is because a child will always be afraid of what will happen if he or she expresses one’s thoughts and be criticized by the parent.
As their caretakers, parents should be open to their children. If they are not, there will be communication problems which will eventually lead to disregard of the parent’s presence. A child will seek guidance or approval from other people, who might mislead him or her when faced with issues. The parent is deemed as an absent parent by the children.
Strict parenting can lead to juvenile delinquency
There are many things that cause a minor to commit crimes. Some of them are poor communication, broken families and absence of moral training. These are elements of strict parenting hence being among the disadvantages of strict parenting.
The way children are brought up using the authoritarian parenting style is very different from the permissive style. It’s difficult for a child to separate oneself from unlawful behaviors since they lack moral and social training. Since they are unable to adopt ethical and moral values from their parents, they end up finding solace in other things such as drugs and alcohol which impair their judgment and cause them to involve themselves in illegal behavior and activities.
Strict parenting breeds kids who lie
When strict parents come to know what exactly happened and they don’t like it, they will most probably punish the child. Since this becomes their habit, a child might end up lying to them to avoid the consequences.
Strict parents consider punishment over talking to their children. Their children are aware that punishment is what they will get in return and as a result, they will prefer lying. These children become prolific liars such that it will be impossible to know the truth.
Strict parenting interferes with children’s creativity
Children are curious and creative. They can learn new things easily as their mind is open and can take explorative risks even without being aware of it.
Strict parents tend to direct and dictate how and what their children will do. This slowly diminishes the child’s creativity and enthusiasm. The opportunity to express their creativity is taken away. Their parents have full control over them and they cannot express anything on their own.
Strict parenting results in rebellion later in life
This is yet one of the disadvantages of strict parenting. As a parent, your child will not be a child forever. He or she will one day develop into a mature being and have a family of his own or live by oneself. That control that a parent has on his child is temporary.
When a child grows up, he or she might distance oneself from the parents so that they can be able to act independently or rather impulsively without thinking of the consequences of the behaviors. The absence of autonomy by the children from a tender age makes them rebellious. This greatly damages the relationship between the parent and the young adults.
Strict parenting results in blind obedience
Children raised by strict parents are good at following instructions and not questioning the authority when they ought to. Due to this, they are more susceptible to blind obedience.
They will follow other people without questioning themselves if it’s okay to do so. Strict parenting makes it difficult for a child to become independent even in decision making. Children learn that people with power have to be respected without any doubt or question.
Children are more prone to anger issues
Getting silly, playing around, and creating crafts are some of the things that a child naturally does as they move through their development stages.
While in a strict home, it will be difficult for a child to enjoy such activities hence taking away the fun and joy of being a kid. This results in a child feeling angry and harboring rage and hatred towards their parents, sometimes without even them knowing.
Conclusion
As a parent, you should be aware that being strict with your child will detrimental in the long run. Children should be talked to with love and affection. Parenting has an impact on the life of a child and as a parent, you should ensure that it positively affects your child. Good parenting (permissive), makes a child independent, responsible, and morally upright. Children should be left to self-regulate their behaviors and choices and be guided when it’s necessary. A parent and child should be able to play different games such as zorbing together
