What does it mean to be a good parent? Very few identify themselves as bad parents, but no parenting is perfect so when you are assessing parental capacity it is necessary to have a clear idea of what “good enough” parenting involves. Michael explains what it means for a parent to be emotionally unavailable to their children.  
 
KEY TAKEAWAYS 

It is natural and easy to focus on if a parent meets a child’s physical needs, but a child’s emotional needs and their parent’s meeting of those needs are more difficult to discern. 
Frequently you will come across parents who seem to meet their child’s needs very well, but this does not preclude significant emotional discontent.  
Does the parent recognise their child as an individual? To what extent does the child feel able to share painful or difficult experiences with a parent? 
One of the ways children show that their emotional needs are not being met is when a child consistently blames themselves for problems that are adult in nature.  
An emotionally incapable or unavailable parent may mistakenly believe that a child’s emotional needs and their needs are the same. 
This situation leaves a child bereft of a solid emotional foundation to become a mentally healthy adult.

 
BEST MOMENTS 
 
‘You can easily identify when a child is always tired, has poor hygiene, eats unhealthily, looks undernourished, or is being severely physically chastised.’ 
‘Parents who are able to keep their child’s needs and feelings utmost in their thoughts are vigilant and constantly concerned about and aware of their child’s anxieties, worries and fears.’  
 
CONTACT METHODfamilycourtcoaching@gmail.com.
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ABOUT THE HOST
Michael Watson is a qualified social worker and author with over thirty years of experience working with children and families. As an expert in family court, Michael is in a key position to assist, advise, and coach parents through their private law family proceedings and provide them with the information and skills to represent themselves successfully in court. His two books, ‘How to Represent Yourself in Family Court’, and ‘FAMILY COURT: Giving Evidence In Family Court’, provide parents with a clearer understanding of family court proceedings, legislation, and parenting skills.