Source: Science Daily
Some parents desire for their children to fulfill their own unrealized ambitions, just as psychologists have long theorized, according to a new first-of-its-kind study.
Researchers found the more that parents see their child as part of themselves, the more likely they are to want their child to succeed in achieving their own failed dreams.
The results might help explain the actions of so-called “stage moms” or “sports dads” who push their sometimes-unwilling children to become stars of the stage or gridiron, said Brad Bushman, co-author of the study and professor of communication and psychology at The Ohio State University.
“Some parents see their children as extensions of themselves, rather than as separate people with their own hopes and dreams,” Bushman said.
“These parents may be most likely to want their children to achieve the dreams that they themselves have not achieved.”
The study was led by Eddie Brummelman of Utrecht University in the Netherlands. It appears online today (6/19) in the journalPLOS ONE.
Categories: Parenting, Psychology, Uncategorized