OverParenting your child

Are you OverParenting your child?  Gone are the days of the “Helicopter Parents”, where Parents are always hovering around their children and fussing over all their exploits. Today’s parents have evolved into a “Lawnmower Parent”, where they clear the way for their child. If there is a perceived obstacle or a bump along the highway of life, “Lawnmower Parents” are there to clear the way!

Experts say that in the teenage years, Lawnmower Parents can exert a level of control, which is stifling for the teen. Recently, I heard of an employer’s account that made my jaw drop…

My friend who works in a MNC  told me about his experiences with Interns:

When an intern has to work late, the intern’s Parents will call the company, and ask for their child to be released from work early.

Another intern who was tired of working in the company, got the father to come to the company, to submit his/her company pass, and give notice of the resignation.

 

Let me tell you, these practices are unheard of in my generation and in the previous generations…

Parenting thoughts about Overparenting

Everyone knows that the life of an intern can be quite hard, where they work long hours, and are given mundane tasks. Ideally, Interning is an opportunity where one can potentially learn the ropes of the trade and gather relevant experience in a desired company. Although not every intern gets to pick up new skills, interns do gain insight into the working world, and potentially increase their potential networks. However, there is always a trade-off in terms of pay and time.

In these real life cases, maybe the industry may not be what the intern imagined, and there may be some bad employers in the market. Regardless how bad the situation, the Youths of today should be responsible enough to tender their own resignation, and to settle their own affairs. I really don’t think that Mums and Dads should tender their resignations, and call the bosses for their kids.

Along those lines, I have encountered a youth, where she needed her parents to help her fill up her University application forms. The Parent involved, wanted to make sure that the Youth checked all the boxes, and filled up the forms correctly. Needless to say, I have never heard about such ‘protective intervention’ among my peers, when I went to the University.

Building Resilient Children

In Building Resilient Children, we need to teach them to problem solve, and meet life’s challenges head on. Our kids should learn to talk to their bosses, and handle the problems of life on their own.

Personally, I think that Parents should learn to step back, and let the kids face life’s challenges on their own. Life is full of challenges, and these obstacles are there to build character.  Do we need to “bubble wrap” our children, and keep on helping them solve problems at work and in school? Naturally, when the kids are in pre-school and if they can’t handle the situation under guidance, parents may need to come in. However, once the kids are in late teens, the situation should change. Kids need to start taking responsibility for themselves.