Getting To Know The Pattern Of A Foster Style That Can Facilitate Children's Social Anxiety

Illustration of Child Care Patterns (Vidal Balielo Jr./Pexels)

JAKARTA - Being a parent is not just educating and giving advice, but knitting a strong emotional bond so that children feel safe in facing the outside world. In their teens, when they start to interact more intensely with their peers, social pressure and anxiety can emerge unexpectedly.

Then, does how do you raise children determine how they deal with social anxiety? The latest study published in Parents, reported on Friday, October 16, shows that warm and loving parenting can actually be a strong protector for children's mental health, while child parenting that is too controllable can exacerbate their anxiety.

Researchers from the University of Georgia found that parenting that emphasizes affection, support, and acceptance has a strong connection with reducing symptoms of social anxiety in adolescents.

Children who grow up in an emotional 'close' home atmosphere where parents show warmth and concern tend to have a higher sense of self-esteem and self-security when socializing outside the home. On the other hand, stiff, overprotective, or controllable parenting include high demands, guilt, and excessive restrictions are linked to increasing anxiety in social situations.

What is interesting about these findings is that the influence of maternal control on the development of child social anxiety is shown to be more significant than the influence of father control. Studies say that overregulated mother's emotional involvement, albeit with good intentions, could leave a trail of greater anxiety in teenage children.

Although boundaries and supervision are still needed, balance is key. If you control too much, the opportunity for your child to explore themselves, learn from mistakes, and develop a coding mechanism will be restrained.

This study invites parents to create a safe space' at home, where children feel accepted, their opinions are appreciated, and failure is not something to be afraid of. Through open communication, empathy, and unconditional support, parents can reduce their child's vulnerability to fear when facing the outside world. In this line of love too, children will grow up learning that nervousness is not a weakness, but a natural part of the socializing process.

In the end, the trend of social anxiety among teenagers cannot be underestimated, but it is not something that cannot be formed from the grassroots of the family. Being a parent is not about how many rules you make, but how sincerely you are able to show that your child always has a place back, a place where they are not afraid to be themselves.