Is it normal for small children to have crushes on their parents?

Answer 1

Yes.
so common, there's names for it -
the Oedipus Complex, for boys and their moms,
and the Electra(sp) Complex, for girls and their dads.

Answer 2

It is not only normal but admirable...shows that really love and respect mom or dad. small children don't understand marriage...they think if you l;ove someone you should be married to them. If it goes on once they understand marriage, I think you have cause for concern. When it's just innocent affection...there's no harm done.

My son when he was 4 wanted to marry his "mommy" when he got older...he grew out of it once he began to understand a little more about marriage.

I wanted to marry my nurse in the hospital when I was 5..it's just an innocent crush...I had no knowledge or understanding at that time about what marriage really was.

I plan on taking my daughters on "daddy dates" when they are older...you know just stuff like taking them shopping and movies that sort of thing. It helps girls realize that they are loved at home and also teaches them how their young "men" ought to behave on a date. I've seen many women and girls get into trouble due to the fact they were seeking the natural affection they should have received from their daddy's.

Answer 3

It is very normal for children to have crushes on their parents. It is not sick or bad, as children are not thinking in "sexual" terms. My girls both wanted to marry their daddy at one point. They have both grown out of it and still love their dad but the crush is gone and had moved on to boys their own ages.

Parents should respect these normal feelings and not belittle the child. Doing so could cause them to fear expressing their feelings to you in the future.

Answer 4

Yes, absolutely, its normal, though your choice of the word ‘crush’ can have lots of differ at meanings. Young kids can develop crushes on anyone, not just parents. A lot of adults who dont understand the effect want to ‘sexualise’ it when it has nothing at all to do with sex from the childs point of view but simply establishing patterns of affection and attraction towards the (usually) opposite sex.

Answer 5

I have three daughters and one has said she wants to marry her daddy, but I don't think it's what I'd consider a "crush". (I don't think that's allowed anyhow unless you live in West Virginia.) I think it's normal for kids to make statements like the above though, I remember thinking the same thing as a child, "when I grow up Im gonna marry daddy"...don't turn it into something sick, just figure that you're loved so much they want to marry somebody as great as their mom or dad! JMHO!

Answer 6

Yep. According to Freud it is. Give him or her a bit of time to get over themselves. Right now it's hero worship type stuff. Dad or Mom are the best person ever. It'll end eventually. Make sure your child is spending time with lots of people, and is getting good socialization in daycare. That will make it end faster.

Answer 7

Yes. Toddlers and small children adore their parents as though they were personal Gods to worship.

That attitude changes and morphs in adolescence!

Answer 8

I think so. When kids are very little, they don't understand the concept of "romantic love". To them, the only love is the pure, innocent love you feel for a Mommy or Daddy. When I was very little (4 maybe) I wanted to grow up and marry my dad. I didn't understand why everyone laughed at me!

Answer 9

Yes, love starts as a relationship between a child and thier parent. They know not of physical love, so to become attached to someone they already love is not abnormal. It is not uncommon for a little girl to ask her daddy, when I grow up, can I marry you. It is sweet when taken into context.

Answer 10

Yes girls will want to marry their dad and boys will want to marry their mom...this is normal.It is called the Oedipus syndrome.Children are "jealous" of their parent of the same sex until they learn to relate to them and realize that they want to be LIKE them,not BE them.