Jungians
Jung placed the "child" (including the child hero) in a list of archetypes that represent milestones in individuation. Jungians exploring the hero myth have noted that "it represents our efforts to deal with the problem of growing up, aided by the illusion of an eternal fiction". Thus for Jung, "the child is potential future", and the child archetype is a symbol of the developing personality.
Others have warned, however, of the dangers posed to the parents drawn in by the "divine child" archetype – the belief of extraordinary potential in a child. The child, idealized by parents, eventually nurtures a feeling of superiority.
Even where impacting less acutely, the child archetype may inhibit psychological maturation and result in an adult who is, in essence, "Mama's darling". A man will end up with a strong attachment to a mother figure, either real or symbolic, and will lack the ability to form commitment or be generative. The female version of this, specified as the "puella", will have a corresponding attachment to her father figure.
Read more about this topic: Child (archetype)