Growing up with overly critical parents can affect you in many different ways. No matter how it affects you, it will change your personality as an adult. People with these types of parents typically exhibit these personality traits.
1. You’re a perfectionist.
People with overly critical parents often become perfectionists. This is because they’re afraid of being yelled at or bullied by their parents, and they do anything they can to avoid it. That means becoming a perfectionist in school, which eventually translates to work as an adult.
2. You’re hypersensitive to criticism.
If criticism is a big part of your childhood, it sticks with you. You might even react poorly to gentle feedback. This sensitivity makes you very conscientious about your work, but it also makes you anxious about other people’s opinions.
3. You have trouble making decisions.
People who were criticized by their parents a lot as children are often indecisive. They worry about people’s reactions when they make a decision. They think they’ll always make the wrong decision because of how often they were criticized when they were younger. As a result, they often freeze when it comes to making decisions.
4. You’re very independent.
Growing up with overly critical parents means you learned to rely on yourself. You became someone who could do things yourself. You’re hesitant to ask for help, and now you use your independence as a strength. However, this type of hyperindependence can be isolating, Psych Central warns.
5. You overthink things.
People who have very critical parents tend to overthink things. They replay conversations in their head, wondering if they said something wrong. They analyze things from every angle, and while this can be useful in some situations, it’s mostly overwhelming.
6. You constantly strive for approval.
Children of overly critical parents want nothing more than for their parents to accept them. Even if they never get the approval of their parents, they’ll continue to look for approval from other authority figures in their lives. The need for approval pushes them to find success, but it can be very draining.
7. You’re a people pleaser.
People who have faced a lot of criticism in their lives want the criticism to stop. So, they stop at nothing to please other people. They change their personality in different social settings to be the person they think the people around them would like the most.
8. You’re incredibly organized.
Overly critical parents tend to look for any excuse to berate their children about something. As a result, children of these types of parents learn to perfect everything they can. This usually means being well-organized whether it comes to work, school, or home.
9. You have a strong work ethic.
People with overly critical parents tend to have a strong work ethic. They’re dedicated and put in the effort to exceed expectations. While this trait makes you a valuable team member at work, it can also lead to burnout.
10. You’re great at reading the room.
People with these types of parents are exposed to more anger than the average person. As a result, these people learn to pick up on signs that their parents are going to get upset soon. This leads to being great at reading the room as an adult.
11. You avoid conflict at all costs.
With so much conflict at home from overly critical parents, people coming from these situations look to avoid conflict at all costs. They’ve experienced so much conflict in their youth that they don’t want to experience any more of it when they grow up.
12. You’re very responsible.
Overly critical parents often impose several negative traits on their children, but there are some positives. Notably, in an effort to avoid all the yelling, children of overly critical parents become very responsible. They can be counted on to do what they’re asked and in a timely manner.
13. You tend to be introspective.
People coming from these types of parents tend to spend a lot of time thinking about their own thoughts and actions. These people think deeply about themselves and their place in the world. They’re very self-aware and thoughtful. While this can sometimes be good, it can also result in overanalyzing everything.
14. You have low self-esteem.
When kids get criticized for everything, it’s easy for them to internalize those messages and believe they’re fundamentally flawed or unworthy. As a result, low self-esteem is a common trait among those who grew up with overly critical parents.
15. You’re overly self-critical.
Lastly, if you grew up with overly critical parents, it’s likely that you’ve become overly critical of yourself. Kids believe what their parents say, and if their parents always tell them they’re doing something wrong, kids will believe it. So, kids of these types of parents are often very critical of themselves as adults.
