Athem and Rose are right: children of narcissists are conditioned from infancy to fit into a role that gratifies the needs of the parent. If you've been shaped like that, it's very difficult to escape.
My mother-in-law has narcissistic tendencies. When I showed my wife a couple of websites describing the behavior of narcissistic parents and their effect on children, it was almost like a cartoon lightbulb went on above her head. Just that understanding transformed her relationship with her mother.
As for why children of "good" parents sometimes behave like self-centered dicks, I suspect a lot of that is down to so many people believing that "good" parents do whatever the hell their little darlings want. Kids should always be respected, but they need to learn the difference between wants and needs from an early age, they need to learn that there's sometimes a difference between reality and their feelings, and they need to have boundaries. In other words, parents need to parent, rather than constantly striving to be their kid's best friend.
children of narcissists
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Athem and Rose are right: children of narcissists are conditioned from infancy to fit into a role that gratifies the needs of the parent. If you've been shaped like that, it's very difficult to escape.
My mother-in-law has narcissistic tendencies. When I showed my wife a couple of websites describing the behavior of narcissistic parents and their effect on children, it was almost like a cartoon lightbulb went on above her head. Just that understanding transformed her relationship with her mother.
As for why children of "good" parents sometimes behave like self-centered dicks, I suspect a lot of that is down to so many people believing that "good" parents do whatever the hell their little darlings want. Kids should always be respected, but they need to learn the difference between wants and needs from an early age, they need to learn that there's sometimes a difference between reality and their feelings, and they need to have boundaries. In other words, parents need to parent, rather than constantly striving to be their kid's best friend.