When 'Good' Parents Go Bad

It is the mark of 'good' parents that we care for our children, think about them, plan for them, protect them, encourage them and teach them. All of those things are wonderful. But, like anything else, there is such thing as too much, even of the good stuff.

Too much protection, too much care, thereby stifling the child's instinct to make his or her own way, usually through the medium of his or her own mistakes.

I am as bad as anyone – afraid to let my kids out of my sight, unless it is into the deliberate care of another watchful adult – but I am starting to think that it may be time to pull back. A little, anyway.

Here is a piece, written for eumom.ie, on the subject:


http://www.eumom.ie/family-life/family-relationships/would-letting-our-kids-make-their-own-mistakes-make-us-better-parents/