"Why Do I Try to Make Everyone Happy?"

In dysfunctional homes, children develop certain “roles.” The five classic roles that are most commonly referenced are the enabler, the hero, the scapegoat, the lost child, and the mascot. A child doesn’t necessarily function only in one role all of the time. In this first video clip below, Denise shares how one of the roles she assumed as a child was that of the mascot (sometimes referred to as the clown) and why this occurred.

In the second video clip, Jerry shares from his own experience how tension in the home can cause a child to become very hypervigilant, and why this can be so damaging.

Click on the videos below to view these two clips: