Part of not being able to express your emotions correctly is not knowing how to control them. So emotionally immature parents might often lose their temper and even blame their child for anything that made them so upset. As a child, you probably were very careful about what you said or did around your parents because you were afraid it would make them angry.
6. They don’t do any of the emotional work.
Emotional work is what you do to maintain your relationship with someone. In a family with emotionally immature parents, the burden of doing this work falls on the child. It’s their job to fix a strained relationship, even if the reason it became strained wasn’t their fault. Their parents, on the other hand, might never admit they were wrong and apologize for their behavior.
7. Their behavior is unstable.
Emotionally immature parents and their emotions are easily influenced by other people or other external factors. Their mood might change often, as well as the way they interact with their child. They might be very involved in their child’s life for a certain period of time and then suddenly become more disinterested and reserved.
Do you recognize someone’s parents in any of the above situations? How do you think it can affect children? What would your advice be on how to work on emotional intelligence?
