Overprotective Parents Can Cause Children to Live Shorter Years: Survey

Overprotective Overprotective parenting Overprotective parents intensive parenting approach overprotective parents can effect longevity longevity survey children with overprotective parents children with overprotective parents live shorter years higher risk to die before 80 children with only one parent intrusiveness negligence emotional distance authoritarianism permissiveness harmful to children's development middle way is the best way caring and loving relationship with parents loving but misguided attempt parental anxiety hyperbolic news media perceived child vulnerability Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

By Jo Anne Hubert , Parent Herald Feb 08, 09:15 pm

According to a recent survey, children coming from overprotective parents will likely live fewer years.

Men who grew up with lesser autonomy during their childhood years due to having overprotective fathers have a higher risk (12 percent) of dying before they reach 80 years old. In terms of women who grew up with overprotective fathers, on the other hand, the risk of dying before their 80th birthday is almost doubled at 22 percent.

Women who grew up well taken care of by their mothers during childhood had a lesser risk of dying by 14 percent.

Moreover, it was surprising that men who lived and grew up with only one parent during childhood had a much higher risk, at 179 percent, of dying before they reached 80.

These are the findings provided by a study entitled "Gender Differences in the Association between Adverse Events in Childhood or Adolescence and the Risk of Premature Mortality," published in Nature, where data from 445 women and 496 men in the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA) who were born in the 1950s and 1960s and who died between 2007 and 2018 were analyzed.

Middle way is the best way

"Children need parental care and support, but not intrusion, which deprives the child of autonomy. Research in psychology shows that this kind of relationship is also weak because the child is afraid of the parent, and leads to various problems, including unhealthy habits, with some studies showing an increased risk of alcohol and drug abuse, as well as mental health difficulties such as stress, which correlates closely with reduced longevity," first author of the study, Aline Fernanda de Souza Canelada, explained.

Authoritarianism, permissiveness, and negligence can seriously harm children's development. This has been confirmed in research about the psychological after-effects of child-parent relationships, Neuroscience News reported.

According to Canelada, the best way for parents to go is the "middle way," avoiding intrusiveness and emotional distance, which both rob children's autonomy. She encouraged parents to be more present with their children and show care and concern but not to the point of overprotecting.

Tiago Silva Alexandre, the last author of the article and a professor of gerontology at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in Brazil, stated that the most interesting thing about their study is that they were able to confirm in numbers what has been a great discussion in parenting for many years - that a caring and loving relationship with one's parents during the childhood years have a powerful impact for the rest of the child's life, even in longevity.

Thus, Alexandre declared that public policies should be able to provide and support better conditions during childhood for people to live longer and enjoy old age.

But why do parents become overprotective?

It is natural for parents to be protective. Being protective is part of their instincts and intuitions. However, when a mother and a father help a little too much or step in every time to save the day or decide on everything, thinking it is for their kids' safety, they become overprotective parents.

According to Parenting for Brain, parents can sometimes be overprotective due to their desire to safeguard their kids from all harm and help them succeed. They are willing to do everything within their power to make all these happen.

Also called the "intensive parenting approach," this parenting style is usually chosen by parents in a "loving but misguided attempt" to ensure that their children grow with the best of outcomes. However, they do not know that it can cause unhealthy effects like what the study above revealed.

Parents become overprotective due to parental anxiety, hyperbolic news media, perceived child vulnerability, especially to kids with chronic illnesses and physical disabilities, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) caused by disasters in the past.