Childhood Love Essay

How Childhood Effects Love The environment in which children are raised, parented, and how they are disciplined or rewarded effects every aspect of that child’s life. It is important that parents choose the correct parenting skills. According to Diana Baumrind, there are four parenting styles; Authoritarian, Authoritative, Neglectful, and Indulgent. There are pros and cons to these parenting styles. Each of these methods have an effect on a child’s conception of and capacity to love. In my Life-Span Developmental Psychology class, we have been talking about the different types of parenting. The first parenting style is Authoritarian. According to our text, this is a “restrictive, punitive style where parents exhort child to follow their …show more content…
This parenting type leaves the child with feelings that they are not good enough or worth their parents’ attention. Bell Hooks tells her readers that the “original school of love” is taught during childhood. This neglect and abuse deprives the child of love. It is essential for a child to be able to obtain a secure attachment to their caregiver. John Bowlby declares the importance of this attachment being made in the first year of a child’s life. I experienced this type of parenting the first part of my life. Due to this, I have many difficulties with relationships, self-love, and even getting close to anyone. Most that go through what I did as child can develop many mental disorders. One of those disorders is called Reactive Attachment Disorder or RAD. RAD is caused by a lack of attachment in early childhood. This makes it nearly impossible for the child to form healthy and loving relationships. I am unable to truly feel close to anyone and love doesn’t seem to be an obtainable feeling. Neglectful parenting has built an internal wall between my ability to love and those around me. I also immensely believe that if one cannot love themselves, how can they love anyone else? RAD creates a wall or disconnect feeling that is inescapable. This parenting type should not be allowed and is quite destructive of a child’s future experiences with …show more content…
These parents are referred to as the “helicopter parents”. I dated a boy that had a mom like this. In my opinion, she was far too involved in his life and it effected our relationship several times. Parenting this way smothers your child and can make them more emotional than usual. These parents over establish their love in the wrong ways. Children also don’t get punished, which leads to them not being as independent or responsible. This also makes the child more likely to have difficulties in relationships. These children always expect to get their way which results in not respecting others. When you are not respected by someone, it makes it quite difficult to feel love towards them or even from them. Children of this parenting style are much more difficult to love. However, a child receives a vast amount of love from their parents. In turn, the child may view love as a positive and easily obtainable