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Getting compared, mocked, ignored, and insulted by their parents is a nightmare for every child. Although living with parents is a blessing for most kids, not everyone is lucky to be raised in a healthy environment. A toxic environment can play an essential role in making the kid low on confidence, less ambitious, and more vulnerable. However, no one can prove whether a child was raised with bad parenting, but there are some indirect yet common ways to determine if someone has gone through a rough childhood.
Here in this article, we will discuss various situations and statements that can make you realize if someone has had a toxic childhood. So, let’s get started.
1. “Don’t worry. I’m here..”
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The urge to help everyone, even if they haven’t asked for it, shows that a kid is raised in a toxic environment. This reaction usually happens because they have been taking responsibility for every blame their parents have thrown at them.
2. Looking Uncomfortable With Personal Comments
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Some parents habitually mock their kids’ habits or personality traits. Little do they know that this behavior can drastically affect their kids’ mental state. These mockings and demeaning statements can make them prone to wrongly reacting to actual praises. As a result, it decreases their confidence and self-esteem badly.
3. “Uggh, I can never do a thing correctly…. What am I supposed to do now?”
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Self-realization is an excellent trait, but growing up in a toxic environment can make kids blame themselves for every little mistake. The problem is that flawless children don’t act in such a way. Any blunder from a child in a toxic home is seen as the world’s end. So, the kid constantly corrects every mistake.
4. Afraid Of Getting In A Relationship
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Watching parents fight or live separately from each other can adversely affect their children’s psychology. Their children can end up living and growing up in a traumatic environment. As a result, they don’t believe in maintaining long-term relationships and lack trust in others.
5. “I’ve done more than you for our parents….”
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The healthy rivalry between siblings is not an uncommon thing. But some families want their siblings to fight with each other to prove their superiority and value. With this mentality and upbringing, many kids fall victim to being jealous of their siblings and find themselves being a loner. As a result, they lack the quality to maintain a healthy relationship with their siblings. And even after their parents are gone, they never return on talking terms because of the toxic past.
6. Making Unrealistic Comments Inspired From The Parents
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Parents’ perspectives and personalities reflect in their kids. But sometimes, kids opt for some casually made stereotypical statements and think according to them for their lifetime. For example, if a mother tells a kid to eat less; otherwise, they will become fat, and no one will befriend them. In the later stage of life, you’ll find them making the same absurd comments to others too.
7. “I don’t feel good, so please come here….”
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People who don’t get enough opportunities in their childhood to experience decision-making or being independent often struggle to survive on their own. As they lack confidence in themselves, they can’t make decisions and feel helpless most of the time. They find it challenging to step out of their comfort zone and always need support from their parents.
8. Apologizing For Everything
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Have you seen a friend who continuously says sorry for literally everything? Yes, these people are common to come across in your life, but this quality shows that they were raised in a very toxic environment during childhood. As a result, they lack confidence and blame themselves for anyone’s mistake. These people were often a victim of blame games and weren’t given a chance to express their feelings comfortably; hence became so apologetic.
9. “You don’t look as beautiful as me….”
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When toxic parents compare themselves to their children, they negatively impact their kids’ confidence. This toxic habit leads kids to think themselves unattractive or unworthy of many things they could’ve accomplished with some support.
10. Leaving The Situation Abruptly On A Single Text From The Parents
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There is a very tiny gap between a parent giving their kids freedom and controlling them in the name of giving them space. You must have come across some of your colleagues or friends who still leave everything when they receive a call from home. Although their parents might allow them to go out simultaneously, they put a leash on them for arriving when they call. This example shows that the kids went through many boundaries when they were kids and, even after growing up, still followed the same habit.
Being in a challenging situation throughout childhood is exhausting and feels like a punishment. And these examples clearly show how a traumatic experience like that influences a grown-up’s overall personality. So let us know in the comments below if you could relate to these phrases and situations and share your thoughts.
