How does one cope with living in fear of their child?

Answer 1

Fear of bodily harm? The child needs professional help and possibly confinement in an institution until he/she is stabilized. Family counseling also.

Answer 2

You don't! You should never have to live with the fear of anyone in your home. This is abuse.

Your home should be a safe haven where family members can go to feel safe from the outside world.

Call the authorities if you feel threatened by a child. It is no different then if a stranger came into your home and mistreated you.

Too many parents feel like they have to put up with abuse because it is coming from a family member.

P.S. The "Shame on You" comment was not necessary. It is not always the parent's fault for the way that their children act. Welcome to the 21st century!

Answer 3

It sounds like you may need some outside help. If it's a young child, I would start getting involved with a church that has activities for children while parents are going to classes themselves. This time spend will bring your focus on the child (which is probably what they want) and give you support while trying to learn how to without fear.

Answer 4

I don't have the answer but i do agree with getting outside help. Also wondering how old the child is and more detail. I am a little upset with some answers you have received about what kind of parent would be afraid and about not correcting them and so on.. they have no idea until they go through this. They are lucky to have great, obiedient children but sometime things go wrong and we are not all so lucky.

Answer 5

How old is the child. You need help from professionals for some kind of an intervention. Cope, I don't know how you can cope without someone controlling the situation.

Answer 6

living in fear of your own child? As in them doing harm to you? well thats a concern its self. A parent should never be in that position. If the child is out of hand and cannot be controlled. then thats when you call for some kind of assistance, Counseling, bording school. Youth challenge. what are you afraid of?

Answer 7

I'm assuming you have a violent teenager in the house?

Sounds like you would need to get a handle on things really fast. Set down some rules and be ready to enforce them. Tell him he has to go to school or go to work, preferably BOTH, in order to live there. Get ready to kick him out and have the locks changed. If he backslides, you kick him out again. It took my parents several tries to get my brother to behave... that was after all us girls got the heck out of the house, leaving them to deal with him alone.

Shake the fear. The law is with you. If you need to, file charges and have him arrested. Some time at juvie would probably do wonders.

Answer 8

Hm. More information should be posted... this is a very vague question. If you are being abused by your child, that is definitely something that needs to be handled. Yes. Children CAN abuse their parents... physically, verbally and sometimes even sexually (as gross as that is). Contact the police if this is occurring.

I can't think of any other reason why you'd be afraid of your child....

Answer 9

That's absolutely ridiculous. I've seen it and heard about it. Parents too afraid to make their children mad so they don't discipline them properly when they are little, and the kids grow up with major anger and insecurity issues because they were never given boundaries in the first place.

Kids need boundaries. Parents who are afraid of their kids have a severe need for acceptance and love themselves; and aren't mature enough to be parents.

I am 29 years old. I have two kids. The worst they could ever do is threaten me or kill me. I'm not afraid to die and I'm not afraid of some mouth. So there is nothing they can do to make me discipline their butts when they need it. If they need it they need it. Whatever the cost; if it means they are mad at me; they will get over it. I temper this with love and support when they are doing what they need to be doing to be good productive members of society. They will get ZERO support if they choose to make bad choices and become hoodlams. I will always be there 100% as long as they are doing the right thing.

You need to get that attitude. Children deserve it. Life is not easy in the real world; we need to teach them and not accept failure or lack of effort on their part. They will thank us when they are grown and happy and successful.

Answer 10

Well, if there are mental problems you might go to Social Services and ask for them to evaluate the child. There may be mental help available. I don't know what you can do if you have not disciplined the kid and now the kid is telling you what to do and when to do it. I just don't know. I was slapped around good when I was a kid....that is why I went to college, graduated, now have a great job and respect my parents for making me behave and do chores around the house. They weren't my best friends, they were my parents.