There are two parenting styles that set a child up to be a narcissist when they grow up, and surprisingly, the two patterns are the opposite of each other.
From a lack of connection between parent and child to trauma or their excessive spoiling.
Children learn by watching
If a person grows up in a family where their feelings were never accepted, they are taught that respecting the feelings and needs of others is not necessary. Whereas, spoiled children are told that everything they do and feel is valuable and this develops an exaggerated sense of self-worth.
"People telling children that they are special and deserve everything or in the age of social media where the child is bought a staggering ticket to see Taylor Swift concert, what the hell are you conveying to the child," says Ramani Durvasula, a clinical psychologist for the CNBC network.
Both environments reinforce a kind of egocentric existence, where the child is taught that what is happening to other people is not as important as what is happening to them. Both lead to poor emotional regulation skills.
If you notice that your child is developing antagonistic traits, you can help curb some of those impulses by setting limits on behavior and more. This means that you sit with the child and help him channel his emotions. Valuing emotions means letting them know that what they are feeling is important.
Don't embarrass them. Just ask the following three questions:
"What happened?"
"How do you feel?"
"How do you think your reaction is making the other person feel?"
Source: Cnbc
