Question
An 8-year-old student is questioning whether her mother loves her due to the mother’s behavior when interacting with her older sister, which makes her feel unappreciated. The child continually asks her mother if she loves her and worries she is not biologically related. As a mother, how should one guide a child in establishing a correct perception of maternal love?
Answer
A child’s questions often reflect the parents’ behavior and emotional handling. For example, parents may not have adequately addressed the child’s concerns, their actions might have led to misunderstandings, or the child might have inherited certain personality traits from them. In any case, the child’s persistent focus on the perception of maternal love needs to be understood and addressed from the parent’s perspective.