Why do narcissists infantilize?

Parents who suffer from narcissistic tendencies are inclined to infantilize their children because they likely see their children as an extension of themselves. It can be paralyzing as they learn to navigate the world on their own because their parents just stepped in to do things for them when they were younger.

What does it mean to infantilize someone?

Infantilization is when an adult is being treated like a child, even though nothing about their mental, physical, social, or intellectual wellbeing requires such treatment. “Infantilizing is treating someone as less than they are,” says Benton. “It is treating them as a child, a victim, and so forth.”

What does Infantilization mean in sociology?

Infantilization is a behavioral pattern in which a person of authority (social workers, medical personnel, etc.) interacts with, responds to, or treats an elderly person as if he or she were a child. Using secondary baby talk when speak- ing to elders may be the most common form of infantilizing behavior.

What are the traits of a narcissistic mother?

A narcissistic mother may feel entitled or self-important, seek admiration from others, believe she is above others, lack empathy, exploit her children, put others down, experience hypersensitivity to criticism, believe she deserves special treatment, and worst of all, maybe naïve to the damage she is causing.

What is the opposite of infantilizing?

Noun. Opposite of to treat someone inappropriately as a child. parentification.

What is infantilizing behavior?

The Collins Dictionary defines infantilization as “the act of prolonging an infantile state in a person by treating them as an infant.” In other words, deliberately treating someone as being much younger than their actual age. Narcissistic parents do this because they see their child as an extension of themselves.

What is literary Infantilization?

1. To treat or condescend to as if still a young child: “The Victorian physician infantilized his patient” (Judith Moore). 2. To reduce to an infantile state or condition: “It creates a crisis that infantilizes them—causes grown men to squabble like kids about trivial things” (New Yorker).

How do you use Infantilize in a sentence?

to treat someone as if that person were a child, with the result that they start behaving like one: He argues that giving money to the poor infantilizes them and stops them from helping themselves.

Can narcissists love their family?

Indeed, narcissists love the idea of family. They love knowing that they have a reliable support system. They also love knowing that they have people who will enable and even embrace their selfish behavior.

What is infantilization and how does it relate to narcissism?

This phenomenon is often referred to as infantilization-basically, treating someone as an infant. Some experts have closely associated infantilization with narcissism, where parents fear their children becoming adults and therefore their equals. To prevent this from happening, they attempt to stop time.

What does infantilization mean?

Infantilization. Infantilization is the prolonged treatment of one who has a mental capacity greater than that of a child as though he or she is a child. When used in reference to teenagers or adolescents, the term typically suggests that teenagers and their potential are underestimated in modern society, and/or that adolescents are often…

How does infantilization affect a child’s independence?

A child’s independence is a threat to that relationship. Using infantilization, parents undermine that independence by doing things for their children in inappropriate ways or by trying to make their child feel incompetent when learning something new.

Do narcissistic parents interfere in adult children’s lives?

Narcissistic parents believe that they have the right to interfere in the private lives of their adult children. This interference can even include sabotaging their adult children’s relationships or telling them who to date.