Are You An Overprotective Parent?
April 3, 2012
Here are some hypothetical situations that parents can review from time to time. Answer yes or no and find out if you are going overboard.
- You are having a leisurely Sunday breakfast in the kitchen. Your four-year-old son wants to pour more orange juice into his sippy cup. Do you do it for him?
- Your daughter, who is in third grade, is participating in the school play. She has about 10 lines to deliver. Do you practice with her until past bedtime just to make sure that she gets her part right?
- Your preschooler is begging you to let him go out and play habulan with the neighborhood kids. Do you ask him to watch Barney with you instead?
- Your seven-year-old son is in tears because he has not completed his science project in time for submission. Do you write a note to his teacher to ask her to give your son more time to work on his project?
- When your child gets hurt, even slightly, do you overreact?
- Your daughter is preparing to go to a birthday party. Despite her protests, do you dress her in her new pink overalls because she looks so cute in them?
- Your nine-year-old is going on a school-organized field trip to the zoo. Even though there are teachers to chaperone the trip, do you ask his yaya to tag along?
- Do you often offer to fix things for your child?
- When your child argues with a playmate, do you immediately jump in to resolve the issues between them?
- Your daughter has to write a paper about the Banaue Rice Terraces. Do you rush to the computer and download materials for her, and highlight important details before you hand the printouts over?
Analysis
If you answered yes to most of these questions, then you are an overprotective parent. A sheltered child has a tendency to become a spoiled brat. Answering your child’s every need will actually hinder his development. If we keep fixing things for them, they will never learns how to fix things for themselves. So parents, it’s time to looen up and let go.
