Why do parents feel like they're failing when they're not? The 'good enough' dilemma
A Dubai-based mother who would rather not be named, was beset by doubts. She knew that her 15-year-old daughter was in a relationship; the secrecy, hushed phone calls and constant messaging were a giveaway. Yet, she felt a little hurt: She had always considered herself as rather open. She had encouraged her children to talk to her about everything. So, why didn’t her daughter want to talk to her…
A Dubai-based mother, who wishes to remain anonymous, grappled with feelings of inadequacy when it came to her daughter's relationship. Despite always encouraging open communication, she was hurt and annoyed when her daughter kept her first relationship a secret. She questioned if she had failed to win her daughter's confidence. However, her daughter eventually confided in her, and the mother realized that waiting and not confronting her daughter was a wise decision.
Psychologist Sarah Maamari explains that parents often feel a sense of failure, despite doing many things right. The pressure to be perfect is immense, and even small moments of worry or missteps can make parents feel that they are failing. Professor Mercedes Sheen adds that parental self-doubt is a constant questioning of whether one is making the right decisions, and this can be exacerbated by social media, where curated moments can make parenting look cleaner and calmer than it actually is.
Without immediate feedback or obvious right answers, doubt has plenty of room to creep in. Parents tend to compare themselves to others, often without seeing the complete picture, leading to feelings of inadequacy. It's essential for parents to build faith in themselves and trust that they are doing the right thing for their family.
Written by urgent.news from Gulf News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
