Strict parenting may turn a kid's hobby into unhealthy obsession

Canada, September 29: A new research has suggested that authoritarian parenting style may put children at an increased risk of developing an obsessive passion for a favorite hobby.

Children raised by strict parents are often moody, unhappy, fearful, and irritable. Adding more to this, the Canadian researchers warn that haughty parents can turn their kids’ passion for hobbies into unhealthy obsession.

It is widely known that a child’s psychological development is linked to the parenting style with which he or she is raised. Now, a study from the University of Montreal in Canada suggests that when parents are too strict, children will become hooked on their hobbies.

Such children turn into obsessive hobbyists, and even put their interests ahead of school, work, friends or family, the researchers said.

Lead researchers Genevieve Mageau of the University of Montreal and colleagues reached their findings after studying 588 children and adults between the ages of 6 and 38, with interests such as science, dancing, playing the piano, skiing and swimming.

All the participants, who practiced their hobby at different levels - beginner, intermediate and expert, were quizzed about their hobbies and parents by Mageau’s team who used a Likert-type scale to measure their responses.

After evaluating the levels of participants’ passion regarding their hobbies, Mageau and colleagues found that children of pushy parents were more likely to be obsessive about their hobbies.

"The more controlling parents are, the harder it is for the child to have a harmonious passion for their favorite activity," Mageau said. "Youngsters with a harmonious passion had parents or an entourage that supported them, while those with an obsessive passion were raised in an oppressive environment."

In the study published in the Journal of Personality, some parents admitted exercising abusive authority over their children and sometimes forced their kids to pursue a hobby against his or her will.

"The child learns that by obeying their parents they will be loved," Mageau said. "The risk is that as adults they continue to pursue the activity to maintain their self-esteem."

Parents often wonder what parenting styles could lead to the ‘perfect child,’ one who has good morals, is self motivated and does well in school, and stays away from dangerous activities. The parent-child relationship consists of a combination of behaviors, feelings, and expectations that are unique to a particular parent and a particular child.