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Parentification is when the roles are reversed, and the child becomes the parent. It is taking a toll when it comes to relationships later in life.
“Parentifying a child means tasking them with something developmentally inappropriate,” says psychologist Lisette Sanchez.
She groups the tasks into two categories, instrumental (having a 5-year-old cook dinner) and emotional (becoming a parent’s caretaker). This could be the result of health issues, mental illness, substance abuse, working multiple jobs or learning a new language.
Sanchez suggests the first step to healing is understanding the effects of parentification and how it affects your relationships in adulthood.
– Vicki Locke, C2 Communications
