Parental love often brings a desire to protect, guide and shield a child from mistakes – yet sometimes this care quietly turns into control that deprives the child of space to grow. Dr. Daniel Reinhardt says – boundaries between a parent and a child are not distance, but an environment in which independence, stability and a sense of self are formed. At MindCareCenter, we help families see the difference between support and intrusion so that relationships remain alive and healthy.
At MindCareCenter, we often see parents who genuinely want the best for their child – reminding, monitoring, advising, and accompanying every step. But behind this may hide fear – fear that the child will not cope, that they will make a mistake, that the world is too dangerous. Then care becomes excessive, and the child stops feeling like the author of their own life. They choose not out of desire, but to comply or to avoid conflict.
Specialists at MindCareCenter explain that a healthy parental boundary is not strictness or emotional distance, but respect for the child’s inner world. Every child has the right to their own thoughts, feelings, reactions, desires and secrets. When a parent takes over this territory – asking intrusive questions, making decisions for the child, correcting their emotions, interfering with their choice of friends, preferences or plans – the child begins to feel that their “self” is insufficient, that they are not allowed to be themselves.
Gradually, at MindCareCenter, parents learn to notice where their behavior is driven by love and where by anxiety. Anxiety pushes a parent to check, explain, control and intervene even when the child is fully capable of managing. But behind this lies a sincere intention – to protect. Therapy helps a parent hold both love and anxiety without letting either turn into overprotection or pressure.
At MindCareCenter, we also work with the consequences of violated boundaries for the children themselves. When boundaries are not respected, a child grows up with the feeling that their inner life does not belong to them. They may become overly compliant – or, conversely, oppositional, trying to reclaim their territory. Such children often struggle to hear their own desires – they choose what will be approved, not what truly resonates within them.
Restoring boundaries at MindCareCenter begins with dialogue. A parent learns to ask, “What do you feel?” instead of “I know what is best for you.” They learn to tolerate a child’s decisions – even imperfect ones. They learn to give space without disappearing emotionally. This changes the relational dynamic – the child experiences autonomy in a safe environment, and the parent stops being the sole source of decisions and control.
Healthy boundaries are not distance between close people – but the level of trust a parent extends to a child. It is the ability to stay nearby without dissolving. To support without dictating. To see not only a child who needs protection, but also a person who is growing and learning. These boundaries form emotional maturity – both for the child and for the parent.
If you notice that maintaining the balance between care and freedom is difficult, that anxiety prevents you from trusting your child, or that your reactions are stronger than the situation – this does not make you a bad parent. It means there is a part of you that wants to be sure your child is safe. At Mind Care Center, we help turn anxiety into conscious support so the family can live not through control, but through connection.
Previously, we wrote about how the psychological traits of extraverts and introverts influence relationships, work and the restoration of inner resources.