Parents only want the best for their children, but sometimes they unintentionally hurt them with their love and overprotection. They might send mixed signals, ignore the opinions of their children, or break the rules they’ve set themselves.
And even if adults mean well, these actions can leave children feeling confused and insecure about how they should act in the world.
We want to shed some light on non-obvious situations where adults act hypocrites and don’t even realize it.
8. “You Can’t Lie To People, But I Can.”
Parents teach their children to always tell the truth and to accept the consequences of their behavior. But sometimes they break that rule themselves.
Telling innocent lies, sugarcoating the truth, or hiding some information because “sharing that will not change anything” may look pretty hypocritical in a child’s eyes.
7. “You Must Sleep Alone, But I Don’t Have To.”
Parents may believe that sleeping together destroys their children’s independence, so they refuse to sleep with them until they fall asleep.
But the question is: why do adults sleep in the same room and children should be separated?
Some psychologists suggest that helping your child fall asleep helps create a stronger emotional bond and improves the child’s mental health.
6. “I Can Decide When I’m Hungry And You Can’t.”
Although healthy eating is important, we all still have our own preferences, and sometimes we just don’t feel like eating a particular food.
Adults have the option to indulge themselves whenever they want, either with a home-cooked meal or skipping lunch if they’re not hungry.
But children are deprived of that luxury and must always obey their parents’ rules, even if the adult does not always follow them.
5. “I Can Spend Hours Staring At My Phone, But You Can’t.”
On average, people spend more than 3 hours a day using mobile internet, not to mention working on laptops, tablets, and watching TV.
And while it’s completely healthy to limit a child’s screen time, adults need to pay attention to themselves as well.
Otherwise, it can seem quite hypocritical when a parent tries to tell a child that they should be able to entertain themselves while they’re checking social media all day.
4. “I Can Be Too Warm Or Too Cold, But You Can’t.”
Some parents can be overly protective when it comes to dressing their children for the weather. They do not take into account how the child really feels and often make assumptions based on their own perceptions.
But it doesn’t prevent them from making outfit choices that don’t really correspond to the weather when it’s convenient for them.
3. “You Have To Share, But I Don’t.”
Parents often teach their children to share their toys, compromise, and to put up with some situations that might be unpleasant for them.
But adults, on the contrary, can be very possessive, stubborn and do not want to sacrifice their comfort.
Children are separate individuals, with their own needs and opinions, so it is important to set healthy boundaries and take their opinions into account.
2. “You Must Do What I Ask Right Away, And I Don’t Have To.”
Parents expect their children to carry out their orders immediately, regardless of what the child was doing before.
Ignoring your child’s opinion may make them think that their wishes and opinions are not important.
It is not about not disciplining your child, but about giving them space they may need.
1. “I Don’t Care About Your Feelings, But You Must Care About Mine.”
It can be difficult for children to recognize and manage their feelings, but it is the parents’ job to help them navigate through them.
But ignoring children’s emotions or punishing them for feeling a certain way will not solve the problem.
Especially if the adults tend to blow off some steam by acting emotionally and “unreasonably” from time to time.
Do you know of other examples of how parents can be hypocritical with their children?