Parent Yourself Again: Love Yourself the Way You Have Always Wanted to Be Loved (Self-Compassion Book 3)

by Yong Kang Chan

All children feel powerless to a certain degree. Sometimes, my students tell me that it’s pointless to talk to their parents because they are never going to listen. When we were children, we didn’t get many opportunities to express our viewpoints and feelings, and sometimes when we did, we were ignored. Our parents couldn’t provide us with everything we desired and we had no power to get what we desired on our own. Other than pleading with our parents and winning their favor, there’s nothing much we could have done. Many of us felt so powerless during childhood that we eventually gave up trying. Furthermore, if you have parents who believe they are always right— and who are over-identified with their role of being a parent and the power they have over their children — you might feel even more powerless and subjugated. When your parents tell you what to do all the time, you don’t have much freedom to do what you truly desire. If you disobey them, they might feel angry or sad and this makes you feel afraid or guilty. Your growth is stifled,