The origins of egoism It is unknown who instilled in her a sense of her own exclusivity, a father who loves her recklessly, or a mother who perceives her daughter as a rival. But Violetta Stepanovna’s colleagues were perplexed how one could be so selfish. Although our heroine was already a little over 40, she still did not arrange her life. Charming, with a shock of dark blond curls, elegant, tastefully dressed, she was lonely. She had no friends. The men did not stay long: either they were frightened by the frank desire to get married, or by the constantly appearing diseases that replaced one another. At work she was considered a malingerer. Violetta did not enter into disputes with employees - considering it beneath her dignity. The gossips were already tired of washing her bones when it suddenly turned out that Violetta Stepanovna was pregnant. Violetta began dreaming of a child for a long time and when she realized that she couldn’t get pregnant, she turned to a doctor she knew who worked in the maternity hospital to help choose a baby “through connections.” The boy was exactly like her. With thin features and dark hair. “I’ll take this one,” said Violetta. For the last five months, she skillfully faked pregnancy so that no one would guess that the child was adopted. Wrapping the baby in a soft blue blanket, the young mother took him to a new life. Perhaps these were the happiest moments, because literally a week later the baby contracted pneumonia and was taken to the hospital in serious condition. Days followed, similar to one another: feeding, diapers, injections, sleepless nights. Deviations in development were discovered when, at the age of five, instead of words familiar to everyone, Maksimka began to pronounce some kind of abracadabra, incomprehensibly rearranging syllables. But this was not the worst thing - the child was uncontrollable: he did not obey, beat his mother and grandmother, and did not want to learn anything. It must be said that Violetta Stepanovna showed remarkable patience, hiring speech therapists for the boy, examining him with neurologists and numerous other specialists. Maxim went to first grade like everyone else, at the age of seven. Considering her son seriously ill and requiring special attention, the 50-year-old mother became a terror for teachers. The strange boy’s classmates did not like him and laughed at the “mama’s boy.” The figure of the mother loomed on the porch, as soon as the last lesson ended: what if someone offends you? Manic care for his son became the meaning of life. Maxim's peers happily kicked a ball in the yard, climbed trees - in a word, they lived their boyish lives, but he did not dare to go outside without his mother. “Son, you’re the only one I have. What if a car runs over you, but who knows the dangers? Despite her modest income, my mother used taxis exclusively: you can catch an infection in transport. The cleanliness of the apartment was perfect, completely sterile. Maybe that’s why Maxim was constantly sick. - Be careful, don’t run, in case the curtain falls, don’t drink cold water, don’t forget to put on a hat... Now the guy is 16 years old, he studies at the gymnasium, where his mother transferred him, thinking about “tomorrow.” Recently, my son began to snap more often and even once walked for about an hour! without reporting to Violetta Stepanovna. The guy has developed an interest in the opposite sex, but the girls don’t look in his direction: he can’t tear himself away from his mother’s skirt. TV and computer are his only friends. - People can deceive, son. Only a mother loves unselfishly, - Violetta Stepanovna never tires of repeating. Is she just that unselfish? Svetlana BELOVA (Ufimskie Vedomosti newspaper, June 23, 2011) Commentary by psychologist Tatyana Petrovna Ivanchenko In psychology and pedagogy, there is a concept of hyperprotection. This is excessive care, the desire of the parent to surround the child with increased attention, to protect him even in the absence of real danger, to constantly keep him close to him, to oblige him to act in a certain way that is safest for the parent. At the same time, the child is spared the need to resolve problem situations, since solutions are either offered to him ready-made or are achieved without his participation. As a result.