Talk To Your Children About Myths About Love
It is important to discuss common myths about love and romance with your children. For example, there is a popular belief that the most important thing in life is to find love.
Without us noticing, movies, books and music have become very influential. The messages they send have a great impact on our thoughts and also perspectives on life.
But the next generation must understand that fictional stories are just that – made up. Unfortunately, the film industry teaches from the fact that children are very young a clear but misleading message: love overcomes everything.
This confirmation can be very dangerous for our younger population. If children and young people do not have a well-established critical mind, they may develop a misconception about reality.
In other words, they may come to believe in concepts of love that are not real.
What are some myths regarding love?
Anthropologically , a myth refers to an association of beliefs that society accepts as true but which are not.
The anthropologist Levi-Strauss considered myths to be a historical object whose content changes and whose structure adapts to society.
Along that line of thinking, myths are not static. Rather, they are a dynamic and versatile process that adapts to different circumstances and environments.
Because myths are considered true, they establish, according to Levi-Strauss, models of behavior that society can follow.
In this way, myths justify behaviors and attitudes that fit with the message they send and what society accepts as true. This is done with the existing myths about love and romance.
In the end, society justifies harmful and violent behaviors in the name of true love.
Myths about love and romance
The “Andalusia Detect Project” (Proyecto Detecta Andalucia in Spanish) compiled a series of misconceptions and false beliefs regarding the ideals of love and romance.
These myths contribute to the risk of establishing relationships involving unequal power between men and women in romantic relationships.
The project established a classification of 19 myths, organized into four groups:
- ” Love overcomes all. ” This first group contains myths that convey the belief that “true love” forgives everything. It leads to the normalization of conflicts and also unites the words love and abuse.
- ” Predestined true love. ” This second group of false beliefs has to do with the belief in finding their “other half”. In other words, the quest to find someone who will perfect us. Again, these myths justify the need to persevere and stay in harmful relationships.
- ” Love is more important than anything else and requires total devotion. ” In this group of delusions, the myths that romantic love is the hub of everything, the meaning of our existence. It leads to depersonalization and the dissolution of one’s intimacy.
- ” Love is ownership and exclusivity. ” This last group refers to myths that have to do with jealousy, which provides space for justifying possessive relationships. “Without jealousy, there is no love.”
Why is it important to teach children about these myths?
Critical thinking is the best weapon against these myths. It is crucial that parents help their children develop a functioning critical mind.
Otherwise, young people will not know how to refrain from these myths, leading to acceptance, normalization and justification of abuse and abusive behavior.
Therefore, teach your children about self-love. Self-love is important when it comes to establishing healthy relationships and avoiding toxicity.
We must teach our children that a healthy relationship is based on trust. Jealousy can lead to the justification of control within a couple – something that should never be allowed.
The myth of finding their “better half” sends the message that we can only be really happy if we have a partner. It is therefore important to teach children from a young age not to be dependent on others.
Teach your children that they are already complete as they are and do not need anyone else to be.
It is true that movies that defend the idea of perfect love help us escape our problems, but it is important to maintain a certain distance and objectivity.
Helping children learn to establish healthy relationships does not necessarily mean isolating them from this type of content. We must rather help them to take the right perspective.
A critical mind helps them to discover and break free from myths about love and romance.
