The Lasting Effects of Emotionally Immature Parents 

Children tend to idolize their parents at a young age. To most kids, their parents can do no wrong until around early adolescence when they realize they have flaws. Unfortunately, we are not all given the gift of amazing parents and some kids learn not only do their parents have flaws, but are also emotionally immature. The American Psychological Association defines emotional immaturity as “a tendency to express emotions without restraint or disproportionately to the situation.” Having emotionally immature parents leads to the child taking on an adult role at a very young age. The role they take on can vary widely depending on the type of parent. An illustrative quote from the book, Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay Gibson goes as follows: "With a mature parent, the child's remedy for loneliness is simply to go to the parent for affectionate connection. But if your parent was scared of deep feelings, you might have been left with an uneasy sense of shame for needing comforting." (Gibson, 8) This quote depicts emotional neglect which can negatively impact kids by leading to anxiety, depression and a whole host of other issues that often linger into adulthood.