Uninvolved Parenting: Things You Need To Know
jessica albert 
Image: Shutterstock
We love our kids more than anything in this world, even more than ourselves. Unfortunately, many parents get lost in their work and other commitments that they forget to give enough care and attention to their children. Uninvolved parenting is when the parents are not responsive to the child’s demands and they don’t have any demands from their child. Do you think you’ve been an uninvolved parent? Know what effects your parenting pattern can have on your child.
The Four Different Types Of Parenting
The level of demandingness and responsiveness of the parents helps us to categorize parenting into four types (1).
Indulgent Parents: More responsive than demanding
Authoritarian Parents: Very demanding, but not responsive
Authoritative Parents: Both demanding and responsive
Uninvolved Parents: Neither demanding nor responsive
What Exactly Is Uninvolved Parenting?
In uninvolved parenting, the parents don’t really respond to the child much and they don’t demand anything from the child as well (2). This is probably the worst kind of parenting because they are not even giving their child a chance to bond with them. Uninvolved parenting is also known as neglectful parenting.
Very rarely, parents resort to the uninvolved type of parenting on purpose and most other times, they just don’t have time. Well, if you think you don’t have enough time to spend on your children, it’s time to change your priorities. Providing shelter, food, and material possessions don’t mean that you’re actually giving your child a good life.
How Can Uninvolved Parenting Affect The Child?
Neglectful parenting will not only affect your child during their early life but it will haunt them throughout their adulthood as well. Here are some of the most common consequences of uninvolved parenting (3):
Disconnect And Loneliness
Children who are from a neglectful household feel disconnected and lonely. This is obvious because they don’t have anyone to talk to or share their feelings with.
Weak Social Skills
Healthy parenting involves the development of a child’s social skills. If the parents don’t have time to encourage their child to make new friends and talk to people well, the child will probably struggle to harness a good relationship. This, in turn, will make them feel hopeless and even more lonely.
Academic Problems
Uninvolved parenting can affect your child’s performance at school. Neglectful parents often rely on another student like their child’s sibling, cousin, or friend to help them with difficulties at home. They might even completely rely on the school and the teachers to take care of everything related to their child’s academics. This will leave the child with no parental guidance when they need it to deal with the hurdles at school.
Behavioral Problems And Vulnerability To Unhealthy Gangs
Behavioral problems like those related to anger are common among children who don’t get enough love and care from their parents. As a result of this, they may end up in trouble at school or outside. These kids are vulnerable to unhealthy gangs since they crave for at least some sort of togetherness which these gangs provide.
Spiritual Problems
Your child may fear God than love Him because of the failure in his upbringing. They see God the same way they see their parents- the one who doesn’t care.
Difficult Married Life
Lonely and neglected children grow up to become lonely adults. This prevents them from having other healthy relationships and healthy marriage as well.
Being A Neglectful Parent Themselves
A child who never had a birthday party does not really understand the value of the precious moment. So, when he or she grows up, it is more likely that they ignore their children’s birthdays. These adults never got to fulfill their emotional needs which they will try to compensate for when they grow up. In the course, they forget their children’s needs and become uninvolved parents themselves.
Adult Behavioral Problems
The behavioral problems that originated in their childhood will get carried forward to their adulthood as well. This will prevent them from having a gainful job or being successful in whatever they’re trying to do. These adults are often prone to anxiety and depression as well.
The effects of uninvolved parenting are not often visible in every child. This is probably because they got the love and guidance from somewhere else or because their resilience helped them cope with the extreme situation. Nonetheless, your child deserves more than just the material belongings. So, keep aside everything else and make enough time for your little ones, today!
Community Experiences
Join the conversation and become a part of our vibrant community! Share your stories, experiences, and insights to connect with like-minded individuals. Let our readers get your unique perspectives and do better together! Read our Comment Policy to know about the guidelines.
