Hi, this is Natalie Hoffman of Flying Free Now, and you're listening to the Flying Free

podcast, a support resource for women of faith, looking for hope and healing from hidden

emotional and spiritual abuse.

Welcome to episode 94 of the Flying Free Podcast. Today I'm going to be talking with you about

parenting small children in an emotionally destructive home.

So to start off, let's define our terms.

By small children, I just mean children that are not teenagers, younger than teenagers.

And then let's talk about what an emotionally destructive home is.

I would say that an emotionally destructive home is a place where there is very little freedom

to be authentically you without being shamed or put down.

So basically in an emotionally destructive home you are unable to

express your emotions. Emotions are considered bad. You can't express your opinion, I mean you can, but it's, you're

ashamed for it, it's bad. You can't express your hurt. If you express that you are hurt, then you are told that you're being

a whiny baby, you're being dramatic, or you're a bad boy or girl. You can't express

your dreams that you're told that they are stupid or crazy,

ridiculous or unrealistic. You can't express your desires.

Your desires are selfish and rebellious.

So basically, when a child is rewarded for hiding,

for staying quiet, for submitting without question, and for stuffing his or her emotions,

you've got a Petri dish for emotional dysfunction to grow.

Children growing up in these types of homes believe

that this is what love looks like.

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