"Our earliest experiences-roughly the first five years of our life-have a profound effect on us because they are our first experiences. It's like we're born with a blank slate and these experiences form our understanding of how things work. Born from these early experiences, narratives are stories about ourselves and the world that form our life-long beliefs and expectations. Narratives can carry unhealthy internal messages such as, "I'm not good enough," or "I'll never fit in.""
"Let's say a young girl who was badly bitten by a dog becomes very fearful of dogs. Let's then say that as a parent, she doesn't want her child to also be scared of dogs-she knows her fear isn't rational, that many dogs are actually very kind and loving. However, whenever she's with her child and encounters a dog, she becomes extremely nervous."
The first five years of life profoundly shape lifelong beliefs, expectations, and self-understanding. Early interactions create narratives—internal stories about self, others, and the world—that guide behavior and choices. Narratives can be negative (for example, "I'm not good enough"), directive (for example, "It's my job to make everyone happy"), or positive (for example, "I'm loveable"). Many early narratives remain invisible yet drive decisions. Parental emotional reactions and behaviors can unintentionally transmit unhealthy narratives to children, teaching fears or expectations through modeled responses rather than explicit instruction.
Read at Psychology Today
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