...his fragile world begins to crumble. After all, he wants to know that he is loved and important to his parents! What does “there is no place for a child” mean? In my practice as a family psychologist, I see a variety of variations of this theme: - physical boundaries are violated. The child literally has nowhere to sit, the house is not his territory, his room is a passageway for everyone... - the child’s psychological boundaries are violated. They shout at him, ignore him, punish him with silence, refuse support, but they often criticize him and make a high level of demands (beyond his years), do not take his needs into account, and bodily boundaries are violated. In families where they resort to punishment, where there is a place for physical violence. All this leads to the child feeling lonely, powerless and guilty of what is happening to him and around him... These are very difficult feelings that are beyond the control of a child. psyche - and they find a way out in self-harming behavior, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, direct leaving (escape) from home, deviant behavior in society and extremely low self-esteem. This is what means that “there is no place for a child.” I did not intend this reflection article in order to somehow offend adults and parents by pointing out their “mistakes”, since mistakes do happen - no one is perfect! I invite you to think and search for the “right” option for interacting with children - comfortable for each specific family. What in this option is definitely worth paying attention to - is there room for taking into account the needs of the child and his desires, or are the wishes of the parents always a priority; - do they meet parents’ expectations for a child of his age (it often happens that the requirement of responsibility does not take into account the age-related characteristics of the psyche) - what common activities connect children and parents. As the child grows up, their quality changes, but this does not mean that contact disappears completely - it becomes different - whether the child has enough support expressed in words and actions, or does he more often hear criticism addressed to himself, comparisons with “good” peers and has no idea about its value. In general, the topic is, in my opinion, important and relevant. There would not be so many traumatized children, adolescents, and adults at psychologist’s appointments if each child had his own place in families, acceptance and recognition of his uniqueness. It's probably a fantasy, a phantom...Or maybe not?