9 Arab parenting norms that are just toxic

It is no secret that many Arab families hold religion and culture in high regard. Rather than encouraging their children to do their own research and decide on their personal points of view, many Arab parents put in extra effort to ensure that their kids maintain the family's traditional beliefs and principles. 

The result? They may grow up with lots of confusion and a fear of challenging mainstream opinions.

It is safe to say that the longstanding sexism and patriarchy in Arab communities are developed at home, where parents often raise their sons and daughters differently.

Whether indirectly or directly, sons are overly-nurtured to the point where they become entitled and self-righteous, while daughters are bombarded with rules that restrict most aspects of their lives. 

Such parents repeat the "boys will be boys" argument, allowing their sons to experience life to the fullest and forgiving their mistakes - all the while putting their daughters' lives under a microscope.

While there has been some progress when it comes to mental health awareness in the Arab world, many Arab parents still fail to realize the gravity of the topic.

As a result, they may not notice signs of mental health illnesses their kids are suffering from. Many parents even undermine such problems and sometimes claim they are the result of the lack of faith.

Many kids, therefore, grow up unaware of their psychological problems or are too embarrassed to ask for help.

While it is undoubtedly their way of expressing love and concern, many Arab parents continue to nestle their kids deep into their adult years. 

This comes from expressing authority with strict rules, along with maintaining financial dependence. 

Daughters struggle with this the most, with adult women having to deal with their parents' overprotective rules, such as forbidding them from traveling alone or moving out.

Arab parents tend to enforce gender norms on their kids and discourage them from expressing their true selves.

The impact is especially tough on members of the LGBTQ+ community, who sometimes risk being abandoned by their families or even face life-threatening consequences due to their sexual orientation.

From constantly comparing their kids to others to repeating that "they can do better," Arab parents are quite hard to satisfy.

While there is no harm in motivating children towards growth, this may cause low self-confidence and a constant feeling of dissatisfaction in their achievements. 

From a very young age, kids are taught to respect their elders and follow their orders, no-questions-asked.

Parents often fail to explain their rules to their kids and rarely engage in constructive debates with them, using "because I said so" and "adults know better" as excuses. 

Thus, kids may grow up with poor communication skills, unable to express their sincere thoughts and feelings or actively take part in important discussions. 

Many Arab parents feel uncomfortable discussing touchy topics with their kids, even when the latter become young adults. 

Consequently, most Arab teens grow up learning about sex from friends and the media, with the topic rarely being discussed at home or taught in school. 

With most Arab parents pushing their children towards traditionally-prolific careers, they fail to nurture their talents in arts and sports.

As a result, many children are forced to be academically-oriented and often discouraged from reaching their full potentials in arts and sports.