When people are kids they use their parents as some sort of measurement for how bad a situation is. When you fall on the ground really hard and you can't figure out whether it hurts or not you look to your parents. If they look worried and rush towards you, you cry. If they laugh and smack the ground saying, 'Bold ground,' then you pick yourself up and get on with it.
In her book "Where Rainbows End," Cecelia Ahern illustrates how children gauge their reactions to distressing situations through their parents' responses. When a child falls and is unsure about their pain, they instinctively look to their parents for guidance. The reaction of the parent can heavily influence the child’s emotional response, indicating a reliance on parental cues for validation of their feelings.
This dynamic highlights the significant role parents play in shaping a child's understanding of different experiences. A worried parent may intensify the child's distress, while a lighthearted response can help the child feel secure enough to recover swiftly and move on. Ahern captures this pivotal aspect of child development, emphasizing how parental behavior impacts a child's ability to manage emotions and assess situations.
