Are you failing as a parent? What happens when you can’t meet your child’s needs? We know, it’s our responsibility to care for the needs of our children. But what if we can’t?

Sometimes you are just spent and have nothing to give… Sometimes, even if you’d like to be there for your child, you just can’t… Whatever the reason, sometimes we are unable to meet our child’s needs. Sometimes, for whatever reason, we are not there for our children when they really need us. Is that a problem?

You know how important it is to take care of your child’s needs.

Getting needs met is a critical part of our child’s development, on many levels. that is why previously we’ve talked about the difference between the needs and the wants, so that meeting the child’s needs becomes easier. The child’s needs take priority over fulfilling every wish & want they may have. And our responsibility as parents is to take care of the child’s needs, even when we cannot satisfy their wants.

But what happens when the needs of the child are not met? 

Does that make you a bad parent? Does that make you neglectful and what consequences does that have on your child’s development? Say your child is thirsty and you have nothing to offer them… Then what? Or they really need your support and comfort, and you are not around… Then what?

Are you failing as a parent?

What happens when we are unable to get our child’s needs met, depends on a few factors. Knowing how important it is to meet them, makes us wonder — and worry — about those times when we fail to do that. How bad is it when the child’s needs are not met? The answer is — it depends. It may have negative consequences and it may not. It depends on the situation and how it is handled.

Let’s sort this out together! Take a listen to this episode of The Parenting Presence and let me know if you have questions. I answer lots of them here as well.

Episodes related to this podcast that may be helpful to revisit:

030: Meeting the Child’s Needs vs. Bending to Their Wishes

020: How to Affirm and Validate Your Child