We all have an inner critic. That little voice in your head that says, “You’re not doing enough,” or “Why can’t you just get it right?” It shows up when you’re already feeling low, or when you’re about to take a risk that matters. It piles on when you’re struggling. And sometimes, it sounds so familiar, so automatic, that you hardly notice it’s there.

If you grew up feeling more like a caregiver than a child, you may struggle with self-worth in adulthood. Parentification—when a child is forced into an adult role, often taking care of their parents or siblings—can leave deep emotional imprints that persist long after childhood. Instead of learning that you are valued simply for being, you may have internalised the belief that your worth is tied to how much you do for others.

If you grew up shouldering responsibilities that weren’t yours—whether that meant caring for younger siblings, managing household tasks, or acting as your parent’s emotional support system—you likely experienced parentification. At the time, you may not have even realised it was happening. It was just “normal.”

If you spent your childhood feeling more like a caregiver than a child, you might have experienced parentification—a role reversal where a child takes on responsibilities that should have belonged to an adult.

Maybe you were the one making sure your younger siblings were fed and dressed for school. Maybe you found yourself calming down your parent after their bad day or acting as their emotional support system. At the time, it may have felt normal—or even like something to be proud of. But the truth is, being forced to grow up too fast has lasting effects on your emotional well-being, self-worth, and relationships.