Are you one of those parents living out unfulfilled ambitions through your child? It is a common theme in parenting, yet sometimes hard to personally acknowledge. It’s also not a new concept. The idea that we, as parents, may see our children as opportunities to live out our dreams actually dates back to Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. We all want our children to be happy and successful, but by pushing them in a certain direction are we helping or hurting them?
“Some parents see their children as extensions of themselves, rather than as separate people with their own hopes and dreams,” says Brad Bushman, a professor of psychology at Ohio State University. “These parents may be most likely to want their children to achieve the dreams that they themselves have not achieved.” If you had dreams of becoming a professional performer and chose a different path, it is easy to want for your child what you did not have yourself. You know why performing didn’t work out for you, and now with more life experience, and your guiding hand in their career, how could they fail? All of this may be true, but the fundamental aspect of any successful career is passion. You may have enough passion for you
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