The psychological impact of a child who is raised without a mother

As a person who gives birth, a mother certainly has a very important role for her children. In fact, the bond between the child and the mother has been built since she was still in the womb. The care of the mother will also greatly affect the mental and emotional development of the child. However, what happens if a child is raised without a mother?

The psychological impact of a child growing up without a mother

Source: Dayton Children's Hospital

The absence of a mother in the child's life will have different effects depending on several factors.

One of the biggest factors is the event that causes a child to lose its mother. Some were abandoned because of death, some left as a result of divorce, some were abandoned even though they still lived in the same house or nearby.

In addition, other factors, such as the age of the child when the mother leaves him, also have an effect on how the child reacts to feelings of loss.

However, life without a mother will certainly have a big impact on the emotional state of the child. At first, they tended to dwell on their own thoughts and question the reasons for the mother's departure.

Children may feel lonely, especially when they remember that they are not getting the care and love they need from a mother. When you don't get the answer, your children will feel angry and frustrated.

This makes children often experience sudden emotional changes. This change is what makes it difficult to communicate with the people around him.

Children who grow up without the mother have a low level of trust

Children who grow up without maternal love also tend to have low levels of trust, both in themselves and in others. This often occurs in children who are neglected by their mother's figure. Being neglected makes children often feel worthless.

As a result, children always feel doubtful and unsure of their own abilities. When they succeed in making an achievement, instead of feeling happy they even think that the achievement is not an effort on their own, but just a fortune.

As they grow older, children may have difficulty building relationships with other people. When the mother as the closest person does not even give the love she wants, the child does not want to expect to get it from other people.

Although the above impacts are generally not experienced by children who live without a mother due to death, losing their closest person forever will certainly leave emotional scars on the child.

When children grieve for too long and do not find a way to stop the sadness, they are more susceptible to depressive symptoms. He will tend to withdraw from his environment and experience a decline in academic performance than before.

Raising a child without a mother

Raising a child without a mother may not be easy. Especially if you are a father who recently lost a wife. However, don't be too sad for too long. Here are some things you can do to help:

• Give your child your complete attention. Especially if your child is the only one, the child without a mother will often feel lonely. Take time to play with children.
• If the work schedule doesn't allow, find an appropriate and licensed childcare center or carer to look after it each time you work.
• Involve the child in activities that they enjoy, such as sports or joining painting classes, you can also invite children to try activities that have never been done before.
• Adopt a pet. This method is believed to reduce stress and feelings of sadness.
• Teach children discipline by applying small rules such as putting shoes in their place after every trip and tidying up the room after playing.
• Provide healthy and nutritious food. This is important to keep you and your children healthy.

Sometimes, it's not a bad thing to be honest with your kids when you're going through a difficult time. Keep reassuring the children that this will soon pass and everything will be fine even without the mother's presence. If your child starts showing symptoms and drastic changes in behavior, go for a consultation immediately.