Today with the MIX Morning Crew, Sean Kelly, Mariam Serkal and Dr Julie Gowthorpe sit down to discuss something many people feel before they can name it: what happens when love in your family feels conditional.
Unconditional love is the feeling that you are loved when you behave, achieve, agree, or keep the peace — but the warmth disappears when you disappoint someone, set a boundary, or become your own person.
Children are very good at reading emotional cues. They notice when warmth disappears. They notice when honesty creates distance. Over time, they may become the peacekeeper, the overachiever, the helper, or the child who never asks for too much.
Research on parental conditional love has found that when parents give or withdraw affection based on whether children meet expectations, children may comply, but often at an emotional cost.
