Parents who adopt harsh parenting techniques behave that way for a reason. Parents who use harsh discipline techniques for their children include physical punishment. This can be insufferable for a child. But what drives parents to such intense measures? You will be shocked to know that it is definitely more than a child’s bad behavior.

Parenting experts revealed parents are stricter with their children when they are insecure about their romantic relationships. An unresolved emotional issue can make parents take the anger out on the child.

Attachment Styles: How They Shape Parenting

The emotional bond of people in a relationship is called the attachment style. The two types of attachment styles are attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. These parenting styles are shaped by different attachment styles in a romantic relationship.

Parents are insecure in their relationships due to the attachment anxiety style. They fear rejection from their partner. The anxiety makes parents lash out at their children. This displacement coping mechanism makes children easy targets. Parents with attachment anxiety want reassurance and validation from their partner. They struggle with their own anxiety problems, and that’s why they have a hard time understanding the child’s emotions.

Parents with avoidant attachment styles use strict discipline. They are not anxious about their partner but emotionally disconnected from their family as well as their partner. The low confidence about their parenting skills can cause a lack of understanding of their child.

The attachment style a parent has determined the health of their relationship. It also shares the connection they share with their partner. People with anxious attachments seek reassurance as well as safety in a relationship. People with avoidant attachment have a hard time being vulnerable and expressing emotions.

People with anxious attachment styles are overly dependent on their partners. They overly rely on their partner. This type of attachment can create an unhealthy dynamic in the relationship. They can plan projects and activities to indulge in separately to mend the unhealthy dynamic.

People with anxious attachments are constantly worried about their partners. They are suspicious about family, friendships, and anyone close to them. Instead of controlling their person, they should give their partner space in order to maintain a healthy relationship decorum.

People with anxious attachments are overly demanding. They constantly want the affection and attention of their partner. They do not feel comfortable in an environment where their partner is not present. They show explosive behavior when their needs are met.

Hypervigilance is a harmful behavioral pattern in people who have anxious attachment styles. They constantly scan the partner’s behavior. They adapt people’s pleasing behavior just to look out to never disappoint or make their partner furious.

Strict Discipline: Effects On Child

Harsh discipline can cause mental health problems in children. Harsh discipline can even cause emotional and behavioral problems in children. Parents who have self-awareness about their attachment style can attend parenting classes to gain knowledge about their inner thoughts, emotions, and conflicts. The inconsistent caregiving and lack of attachment experienced by the child with a parent who has an anxious attachment style can make things challenging.