20th January | By:Shreya N Bharadwaj
Parenting is the foundation on which a child’s emotional, social, and psychological future is built. It is both one of the most challenging and the most meaningful roles a person can take on. Parenting is not a one-time responsibility, it is a lifelong journey of guiding, mentoring, learning, unlearning, and adapting.
Most parents genuinely want to give their children everything they never had. However, this desire is often shaped by fixed beliefs passed down through generations about what is “right” and “wrong.” While these beliefs may come from good intentions, they can unintentionally create conflict, emotional distance, and long-term mental health concerns for children.
Below are some common parenting mistakes that can significantly impact a child’s emotional well-being
Comparison may seem harmless, but its psychological effects are deep and long-lasting. When children are constantly compared with peers, siblings, or relatives, they internalise the belief that they are “never good enough.”
Over time, this leads to:
Many struggles seen in adulthood such as lack of confidence, indecisiveness, and fear of failure often trace back to repeated childhood comparison combined with lack of emotional validation
Love is essential, but when love turns into over-pampering, children are deprived of opportunities to build emotional strength.
When parents remove every obstacle from a child’s life, children may:
Such children often find real-life challenges overwhelming because they were never allowed to develop resilience, problem-solving skills, or emotional regulation.
Choosing a child’s hobbies, friendships, and interests may come from concern, but excessive control interferes with identity formation.
This can lead to:
When children are not allowed to explore who they are, they grow up doubting themselves and feeling disconnected from their own choices.
4. Using Fear and Aggression as Discipline
Discipline rooted in fear, threats, or harsh punishment does not build character — it builds trauma.
Fear-based parenting can result in:
Over time, children become desensitised to fear, making the discipline ineffective while the psychological damage continues to grow.
5.Lack of Quality Time
In today’s fast-paced lifestyle, quality time with children is often sacrificed. Yet children need emotional availability more than material comfort.
When parents fail to connect meaningfully, children may feel:
This emotional gap can later manifest as anxiety, attachment issues, insecurity, and difficulty forming healthy relationships.
No parent is perfect and perfection is not the goal. Conscious parenting begins with awareness, not guilt. Recognising these common mistakes allows parents to make mindful changes that nurture emotional security, independence, and resilience in their children.
A mentally healthy child is not created by control, fear, or comparison, but by empathy, boundaries, connection, and consistent emotional presence. Parenting is not about raising perfect children it is about raising emotionally strong, confident, and secure individuals who feel loved not for who they are expected to be, but for who they truly are.
Disclaimer: This blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice. Always consult a qualified health provider before starting any supplement.