Forgiving a friend or coworker is simple, but forgiving a parent is a different thing. It is more difficult to forgive someone who has injured us when we are close to them. It takes weeks, months, or even years of consistent effort. In addition, failing to obtain an apology from a parent for the grief they’ve caused might imprison a person in a state of rage.
Though everyone’s experience is different, here are some of the most frequent reasons why it is tough to forgive a parent and how to begin your journey to forgiveness.[1] Dissatisfaction A child’s initial role model is their parent. When we are children, we look up to our parents as role models. As we become older, we notice them making blunders and doing things we didn’t expect them to.
We find it difficult to forgive our parents when we are dissatisfied and angered by their actions and treatment of us. Nonetheless, we must recognize that everyone, even our parents, makes mistakes, and we must forgive them.[2] Predictions We may have unrealistic expectations of our parents. We continue to hope for the day when they will change and finally show us the love and affection we have craved.
Unfortunately, for some, it never happens, making it difficult to forgive. To overcome this type of animosity toward our parents, we must set reasonable expectations and attempt to comprehend the situation from their perspective.[3] Betraying. When our parents mistreat us, we feel deceived and lose faith in them. It commonly occurs in the offspring of divorced parents. When a family is broken up, the components of a once-happy relationship fall apart as well.
Children find it difficult to forgive their parents for divorcing and failing to provide them with a complete, loving family. It may take some time to forgive a parent for this, but now is the time to reflect on our connection with our parents. Rejection Many of us have been rejected by our parents at some point in our lives. However, if we continue to be rejected and do not receive the attention and care we require, it strains our relationship with them.
It is even harder for children who have been abandoned by their biological parents. It makes children feel unworthy of their parents’ affection, and as they grow older, their hatred intensifies. The solution is to acknowledge our own wounds and take responsibility for it.