Yes, I grew up in Lisbon and now live there again. I also love Portugal (and especially Lisbon :P) very dearly. It might not have come across that way in my post because I was highlighting something I don’t like, namely the lack of emotional intelligence some parents have towards their kids…
I mentioned parents admonishing kids for crying instead of trying to understand them, but there are other examples. One that has always bothered me is the saying “as crianças não têm ‘quereres’” (“children don’t have ‘wants’/wishes), which basically means they’re not supposed to choose things for themselves and instead let the adults decide. Of course parents and adults are supposed to set some limits, but choosing everything for their kids surely is not the best way to foster their healthy development into teenage and adulthood.
Hopefully, with my writing and by example, I’ll be able to help more and more parents relinquish their controlling tactics and turn over to the autonomy supportive side :)
