Parents are expected to raise their children in a way that the children feel loved, cared for, and supported. Unfortunately, not all parents do that. Some parents inflict their children with mental and emotional damage that causes psychological problems to the child as they grow into adulthood. These parents are referred to as toxic.

Here are 11 behaviors of toxic parents that result in emotional and mental damage to their children:

1. Lack of support and security

Parents need to be there for their children at all times to ensure protection and security. Not all parents understand this and instead give their children tough love. They believe this is the way to make a child independent in the future. However, children raised in this manner end up being insecure in the future.

2. Dismiss emotions

Toxic parents discourage their children from expressing negative emotions like fear or worry. They tell the child that expressing these emotions shows they are weak. When these children grow up, they feel embarrassed about their emotions and might find it difficult to express their fears. They then end up feeling lonely and depressed.

3. Instilling fear in their children

Toxic parents discipline their children in the way of punishments that make the child fear them. Children raised this way fear their parents and will not discuss anything with them. These children grow up to become fearful and cannot express their emotions.

4. They are judgmental

Toxic parents bring down their children's self-esteem by being over judgmental. These children grow up having no will or motivation to experience new things.

5. They make mean jokes

Toxic parents make their children feel bad by making mean jokes and comments about their children's mistakes. They mock, laugh, and point fingers which makes the children lose their confidence when they become adults.

6. They demand attention

Toxic parents demand too much attention from their kids making them feel as if they owe their parents for raising them. These children have no time to experience new things in life because their parents consume all their time.

7. These parents make children accountable for their happiness

Toxic parents make their children pay back all the sacrifices they made when raising them. In this way, they want their children to make the same sacrifices and give up their goals to make them happy.

8. They make children accountable for their terrible behavior

Toxic parents abuse their children then blame them for that. They make the child believe that it's their behavior that provoked the anger. Such children also become abusive to their spouses and children later in life.

9. They accomplish their dreams through the children

A toxic parent expects their children to achieve all the things they weren't able to achieve in life. They decide for their children which career to take, hobbies, etc. They don't allow children to make their own decisions.

10. They stay silent

Toxic parents give their children the silent treatment instead of expressing their anger and talking things out. Later in life, these children are unable to handle arguments or hold a healthy conversation.

11. They use money and guilt to control their children

These parents buy their children's love using money and gifts. If the child fails to love them back as they want, they make them feel guilty by reminding them of all the good things they've done for them.