What is Parentification?

What is Parentification?

July 30, 2022 0 Comments

Not everyone who experiences parentification also experiences negative effects as adults. 

However, some of the things you may experience are a loss of a sense of playfulness and a feeling of not having had a fun childhood. There is often a sense of watching other kids who don’t have a care in the world, while you have to support your parents and family.

You might have grown up disconnected from a sense of inner joy. Life can seem hard, and there can be a feeling of having to work hard.

You might have missed out on essential stages of development, skipping the natural exploration of identity in the teenage years and skipping straight into the adult role.

Learning to re-parent and connect with your inner child as an adult can be incredibly useful in reconnecting with your inner joy and creativity.

Let me know if this resonates with you.

Love Jen 

This is not intended to be used for diagnosis.

  • TILE 1 What is Parentification? Parentification is when a child takes on the role of parent. When a child is a parent, they LOSE THEIR CHILDHOOD.
  • Types of parentification: Emotional parentification - Acting as a friend and confidant to a parent, becoming an emotional replacement for a physically or emotionally absent spouse, becoming the peacemaker, emotionally supporting the family. Instrumental Parentification - helping the family with physical tasks such as cleaning, shopping, and caring for younger siblings.
  • Parentification is the lack of boundaries within a family unit which means the children or a child takes on duties and responsibilities that are usually the domain of adults (Boszormenyi-Nagy & Spark, 1973). Boszormenyi-Nagy, I., & Spark, G. (1973). Invisible loyalties: Reciprocity in intergenerational family therapy. Hagerstown, MD: Harper & Row.
  • Parentification is a potential form of neglect (Hooper, 2008). Hooper, L. M. (2008). Defining and Understanding Parentification: Implications for All Counselors. The Alabama Counseling Association Journal, 34, 1.

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References: Hooper, L. M. (2008). Defining and Understanding Parentification: Implications for All Counselors. The Alabama Counseling Association Journal, 34, 1.

Boszormenyi-Nagy, I., & Spark, G. (1973). Invisible loyalties: Reciprocity in intergenerational family therapy. Hagerstown, MD: Harper & Row.

CategoriesHealing, Psychotherapy
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