Toxic Family Types That Can Ruin Children’s Lives
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No family is perfect; healthy family connections are crucial for the survival and well-being of the family. But toxicity isn’t just limited to a single member of the family. It can come from past experiences, broken relationships, and parenting styles. But the primary cause of a toxic family is a lack of communication. So, unsaid thoughts, disagreements, and gaps between family members can convert any good family into a living hell.
Let’s look at some family settings which don’t look bad on paper but have a toxic family culture.
1. Children Turned In To Care Takers
With poor parenting techniques come significant burdens on the children. In this type of family, parents or caretakers are not interested in performing duties for their children. And in some cases, they physically abuse the young ones to vent their anger. So, the only child or the elder siblings unwillingly turn into the parents themselves. Nevertheless, they stabilize their family relationships and care for their younger siblings. For example, parents with alcohol addiction are probably the reason for this unstable and toxic family dynamic.
Children who grow up in this type of family are mature and responsible. However, they don’t share anything with their parents and lack emotional connections.
2. Picture-Perfect Families
You know that nothing remains perfect for long. But in this family dynamic, people fake out family relations by showing a picture of an ideal reality in front of outsiders. There is a clear gap between family members, and they only show up close to each other at family gatherings. Otherwise, they are busy in their own lives.
For example, parents ask their children to maintain a fake reality in front of others while the truth is they are hiding a poor financial situation, an extramarital affair, or even an upcoming divorce.
3. Children V/s Parents
Disagreements and arguments are normal between family members. However, if banters happen daily, it will ruin the family dynamic. Parents expect their children to behave the way they behaved when they were younger. The disagreements can range from daily habits to questioning parenting. Gradually, conflicts and misunderstandings will drive them apart because of the generation gap.
4. Parental Dictatorship
When one parent takes on a dictatorial role and assumes total control, the other parent accompanies the children as a victim. The helpless parent is viewed as an equal by the kids. The dominant parent is probably aggressive and an abuser, but the co-parent may persuade the children to hate the abusive parent. While the children are stuck, one parent will feel dissatisfied and isolated, while the other will feel offended and abused.
5. Not So Single Parents
In short, this occurs when parents seldom communicate with one another and essentially have different lives. For instance, one parent might take charge of the kids while the other is preoccupied with work. The youngster would then be relied upon by one parent, who would confide in them and share their secrets. These could even be a slight to the other parent, driving them further apart. In the worst situation, the parent being kicked out can start an affair with a different person or turn to a harmful habit like alcoholism for solace. This family set breaks the partners’ trust and emotionally affects the children, making them struggle to form long-lasting relationships.
6. Parents Without Communication
In extreme situations, one parent may be very severe while the other is underhanded. Children will act out to push the boundaries or retreat entirely due to the stress of parents who cannot decide how to raise them. Children may also exploit gaps in the parental structure by approaching the more forgiving parent and asking for permission to do something. This behavior can make the parents doubt their importance in any decision-making process while increasing the chances of regular verbal fights.
7. Secretly Isolated Family Members
This family may appear to be one unit at first glance, but there can be one or two family members who are frequently left out. The lonely family member may feel like the odd one out since they are different from the rest of the family. However, it’s also possible that the family is preoccupied with someone else, also called favoritism, and neglects to give the lonely person the consideration they require. In the end, the family member may choose to break all relationships.
8. The Splitting Family
If there is conflict during the divorce, the situation may swiftly deteriorate. For the child, a nasty divorce can be harmful. The kids feel stressed and lack security when one parent sows resentment or disparages the other parent. Children who are raised in this setting have trouble forming enduring friendships. They start to have trust issues and think fulfilling relationships are impossible.
A positive family environment is crucial for the good upbringing of the children and good relationship building for the parents. But complications in any family are inevitable and can affect the whole life of the caretakers and young ones. These were some of the family types which show toxic qualities. Let us know in the comment section below if you have some other situations to add to this list.
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