Question

what does parentified child mean?

Answer 1

A parentified child is one who has sacrificed his own needs for attention, affection and guidance by undergoing a role reversal to loo fter the emotional needsand sustainability of the parents or siblings. Children learn to care and reciprocate to parents as they grow, but when this reciprocation transforms into the role of caregiver in childhood, it is called parentification.

Occasional role reversal can be healthy as the child develop into a more responsible, caring and help in forming a healthy identity.

But when the child is overburdened with expectations that are age inappropriate, the child starts behaving like an adult very early, but the development or maturity is not healthy as it comprises on their own emotional needs.

Children from single parent families, divorced parents, households in poverty, parents with substance abuse problems, mental or physical disabilities, often fill the vaccum of an authority and responsible adult by filling it themselves.

These children are often depressed, feel isolated and guilty for not fulfilling their roles.They have a distorted perception of childhood and on becoming adults, parentify their own children with high expectations.