"Young children often rely on a preferred parent but Dr David Coleman says you can take a gentle step back and rebalance the caregiving duties When you have a four-year-old who insists on one parent doing everything for them, refusing to let the other parent help with dressing, bathing or bedtime, for example, you will probably get one parent burning out, increasingly exhausted and the other feeling sidelined and redundant."
"When you have a four-year-old who insists on one parent doing everything for them, refusing to let the other parent help with dressing, bathing or bedtime, for example, you will probably get one parent burning out, increasingly exhausted and the other feeling sidelined and redundant. This pattern is extremely common in early childhood and is rarely a sign of poor parenting or family dysfunction. At four, children are still developing the capacity to regulate their emotions and tolerate frustration."
Young children frequently form a strong preference for one parent, insisting that the preferred parent handle dressing, bathing, and bedtime. This can produce caregiver burnout for the preferred parent and leave the other parent feeling sidelined and redundant. The pattern is extremely common in early childhood and is rarely a sign of poor parenting or family dysfunction. Children around four years old are still developing the ability to regulate emotions and tolerate frustration, which contributes to selective attachment. Parents can take a gentle step back and deliberately rebalance caregiving duties to reduce strain and increase shared responsibility.
Read at Independent
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