Parenting, they say, is a full-time job. But your constant care for your child can result in overparenting or excessive parenting and affect your child’s growth. A sign of excessive parenting is too much control over the child and their decisions. This can cause significant damage to a child’s development and behavior. Dr Swati Vats from Podar Prep preschool says that as a parent, it is your responsibility to ensure your child’s safety but that should not always appear as an attempt to control your child.
The Effects of Overparenting
- Leads to defiance: Overly controlled children may straightaway disobey instructions as a form of rebellion against the parent.
- Children become stubborn: Overparenting makes children stubborn as the constant imposition of their parents may make them less willing to compromise.Â
- Over reliance: Overparenting can cause a child to become overly dependent on their parents which limits their confidence and problem solving skills. This hinders their growth, critical thinking and resilience.
- Emotional Growth: Excessive parenting can lead to setbacks in social and emotional growth of the child and affect their ability to act independently and accommodate themselves in social situations.Â
The right balance between being supportive and overly controlling is an important aspect of healthy parenting. Here are some strategies that can help parents navigate this delicate balance:
- Set rules together: Engage your child in setting household rules. Such a practice not only gives them a sense of investment but also leads to more cooperation and compliance.
- Provide a channel: In times of conflict of opinion between you and your child, offer them an atmosphere in which they feel heard and are able to voice their thoughts and feelings. Listen intently to your child as it promotes confidence and enhances your relationship.
- Facilitate decision making: Encourage your child to make decisions within the set boundaries and let them learn how to take responsibility for the choices they have made to build their confidence in their decision making.
- Mistakes to Learn From: Allow your child to reflect and learn from their mistakes instead of immediately coming to their rescue. Let them explore alternative actions and come up with solutions on their own.Â
- Quality Time: Spend quality time together through activities like playing games or reading stories while focusing on connection rather than giving instructions.
Podar Prep Preschool encourages a balance of support and control in parenting. Protecting your child is natural, but excessive parenting can impede their emotional and social growth. This is where encouraging autonomy, along with guidance, comes in: these can help build confidence and independence, which are crucial for a child’s future. Explore Podar Prep’s Instagram page for more parenting tips and insightful parenting content.
