OVERPROTECTIVENESS

                                                              OVERPROTECTIVENESS

    Overprotective parents generally want to protect their children from harm, from hurt and pain, from unhappiness, bad experiences and rejection, from hurt feelings, failure and disappointments. 

    When you hear them say it like that, it sounds admirable to begin with, but look closer and think about what experiences their children are prevented from having. 

      Overprotective parents often prevent their children from trying new activities such as discovering  the joy of climbing and safe risk taking at adventurous play grounds. Many sporting activities are discouraged, along with social activities which would include opportunities for gaining social competence. 

       What many overprotective parents fail to see is that their own fears from childhood are now being lived out through their children, thus creating a new generation of the same fear filled life that was theirs.
It is difficult for overprotective parents to admit the reality of their fears for their children. 

       These fears feel very real and are made obvious through statements that often include watch out and /or be careful.

       "Watch out - you'll fall", when at a playground, or "Be careful, you'll have an accident", while riding their bicycles. 

         Overprotective parents envision fear in most situations and by putting this fear on their children, they are creating fear filled, anxious, emotionally immature children.

         Over protective parents create continuous situations from which their children struggle to escape, until eventually there is no escape as the fears have become part of the patterned response for their child's way of thinking.

        This type of parenting or smothering rather than mothering, is ineffective and fails to instil virtues and values such as responsibility,courage, self esteem,self respect,confidence in your child.