"Some parents
see their children as extensions of themselves, rather than as separate people
with their own hopes and dreams,".
The study,
conducted in the Netherlands, involved 73 parents (89 percent mothers) of a
child aged 8 to 15.
Results showed that
parents who reflected on their own lost dreams (as compared to those of
acquaintances) were more likely to want their children to fulfill them -- but
only if they felt strongly that their child was a part of themselves.
"Parents then may bask in
the reflected glory of their children, and lose some of the feelings of regret
and disappointment that they couldn't achieve these same goals," he said.
"They might be living vicariously through their children."
Future research will be needed to
determine how this desire of parents for their children to fulfill their dreams
may impact the mental health of their offspring, Bushman said.
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