Over-Parenting Messes Up Children; How To Recognize The Signs So Parents Can Stop The Obsession

Is over-parenting apparent in this day and age? Has parenting gone over the line that mothers and fathers are raising messed up children?

Parents raise their children with good intention and parental involvement is important in shaping a child's future. It cannot be denied, however, that some parents take an overbearing amount of responsibilities in child-rearing in the belief that this is good parenting.

Angela Mollard of the Daily Telegraph wrote that society has reached the age of peak parenting. Today, couples can dictate when they can and cannot have babies with the help of science so that they can properly chart their lives to focus on becoming the "best" parents.

But along with this goal to be the best, parents have become over-involved. This has given rise to what parenting styles experts have dubbed as helicopter parenting or tiger parenting.

From choosing the best time to have children, to choosing the best schools, to throwing the best birthday parties, to encouraging children to be the best in sports or ballet, over-parenting has brought the opposite effect. The obsession and indulgence have resulted in raising emotionally fragile children who lack the independence and resilience necessary for adult life.

Mollard concluded that today's parents are ruining their children. She cited the book "Spoonfed Generation" by Michael Grose in her discourse, which points out how parents lack the drive to let their children manage their own challenges.

Yep @angelamollard @sundaymail_qld seems 2 b about When & Best -can't wait 2 read @michaelgrose #SpoonfedGeneration pic.twitter.com/XwXRnZaLil

— Andrew Buchan (@AndBuchan) January 8, 2017

Telegraph cites certain instances of over-parenting. Among these include the children leaving it up to their parents to repeatedly question their teachers, or take care of simple tasks like morning wake up calls, or picking up after themselves.

Parenting book author Julie Lythcott-Haims advises parents to never treat their kids as their passion. "If you are treating them as if they are, you're placing them in the very untenable and healthy role of trying to bring fulfilment to your life," the expert said.

She advises parents to let children embrace mistakes so that they learn to become accountable and to come up with their own solutions. She also advises to stop doing these methods: over-protecting, over-directing and hand-holding the children, lest they end up growing without drive and conviction.