Total focus child rearing produces watched children. Watched children have a handicap to overcome.
There is a self-consciousness that pervades both their internal and external life. The latter is apparent in a certain demeanor of awareness that hints at guardedness, not curiosity or appreciation. The eyes are too ‘on call’, the body tense. The ability to participate is diminished. Criticism takes precedence over approval, on both the outer and inner level.
The reasons for totally focusing on a child vary from a more than average investment in reproduction to major unresolved problems in the parent(s) to special needs.
Awareness of the situation is the first step in alleviating the negative aspects of the issue, of using the increased sensitivity for a positive lifestyle.