There can be little doubt that raising a child is one of the most rewarding yet challenging aspects of adult life. But what happens when a parent goes a little too far when nurturing and supporting their child?

This is known as over-parenting and it can be almost as destructive as ignoring your child. So let’s check out some parenting tips about how you can strengthen the bond with your child.

How and Why to Avoid Over-Parenting Your Child

Here we discuss a few examples of what is meant by over-parenting and explain exactly why it is negative rather than positive in more than one way.

Over-parenting 101

Okay, so this is one of those definitions that is fairly self-explanatory. Typically, it applies to parents who are overprotective and once who will not allow their kids to do things without their help.

This could be applied to something as basic as doing up their shoelaces right through to taking over the homework duties and even more.

There are even cases when a parent actually phones up their little angel’s boss at work and demands to know why he or she hasn’t been given a pay rise or promotion. When over-parenting gets ugly, there are no age limits and seemingly no boundaries.

The big issue

Being there for your children is one of the most natural behaviors for parents and it is very difficult to do the right thing as far as letting them grow up is concerned.

You see, by holding their hand whenever life gets tough, you are forcing them to miss out on some very important life lessons. No responsible parents would be able to sit idly by as their child is put in harm’s way, but there is a compromise that needs to be considered.

You will not always be there for your children and once you accept this fact, it becomes easier to allow them to find their own feet.  

The remedy

They call it ‘Tough Love’ and that term is very accurate indeed. Although it surely tugs at every good parent’s heartstrings, stepping aside when necessary can be the very best way to treat your children.

That crucial moment when they let go of your hand as they see their school friends are so very bittersweet but every parent-child relationship will experience this at some point.

Your children will need to face some pretty harsh realities during life and these events are what will essentially shape who they are.

Outro

By allowing your children to actually discover their own individual autonomy, you are facilitating their success or failures. We learn from our mistakes and we all make many of these during life’s journey.

Narcissistic and entitled adults are usually the result of over-parenting. Once they have flown the nest, wouldn’t you much prefer them to be as strong and independent as possible?

The answer to that question should always be yes, to ensure that you know when those apron strings can be safely cut because their future success and happiness really do depend on that judgment call.

Author Bio:

Nominated as ‘Best Physiotherapy Consultant’ in Noida, Dr.Vidhi Jain has over 7 years of experience as a Physiotherapist.  She is currently practicing at Vinayak Physiotherapy in Noida as HOD of the Physiotherapy Department.
She also writes for Medlife International Private Limited, an online pharmacy store operating in India.

Disclaimer:

The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. All About The Woman is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. The information appearing in the article do not reflect the views of All About The Woman and All About The Woman does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. All information is provided on an as-is basis.