Parents need to let their children solve problems by themselves to let them grow. However, some mums and dads struggle to stop themselves from intervening in allowing their kids to face personal challenges.
Parents wanting the best for their children is normal. It is common for them to know what could be better for their child. However, parents must remember that it would be essential for them to allow their children to solve problems independently.
In this article, you'll read:
- 7 Reasons Why You Should Let Your Children Solve Problems
- Realising When You’re Turning Into a Helicopter Parent
7 Reasons Why You Should Let Your Children Solve Problems
Have you heard about the parenting style known as helicopter parenting? This parenting method involves pouring an unhealthy amount of attention into your children's lives.
Additionally, parents end up becoming helicopter parents when they keep intervening in their child's problems. As parents, you need to set boundaries and let your children solve problems by themselves.
While parents desire to give their children all the best, maintaining certain limitations would still be best. When you let your children solve problems, you allow them to develop independence.
On the other hand, a parent trap is a situation wherein parents tend to solve problems for their children. They tend to rescue their kids in a that they eventually stifle their child's potential for progress or growth opportunities.
Helicopter parents tend to overly protect their children from possible issues, challenges, and struggles. In a worst-case scenario, some parents may go as far as solving their children's problems. They may also make decisions for their kids instead of allowing them to make things on their own.
Concerning this, parents must understand that helicopter parenting can pose disadvantages to their children despite their good intentions. It could possibly do more harm to them than good.
Here are 7 reasons why you should let your children solve problems on their own:
Children Learn Skills by Experiencing Them on Their Own
Parents think they know how best to guide their children in physical activities. However, they must keep in mind that there are several skills that kids may only learn by experiencing them themselves.
For instance, the importance of teamwork and the essence of cooperation, leading others and coping with defeats. These are the things that they will only learn upon experiencing it.
The Importance of Trial and Errors
When parents get ahead of themselves and solve their child's problems, they deprive them of learning the value of trial and error.
Remember that trial and error allows kids to teach themselves that would be beneficial for them in solving problems in the future.
Chores Teach Children to Be Responsible
As much as they can, some parents do certain things for their kids to avoid experiencing stress doing their chores.
However, parents must understand that frustration can be good at some point. It could help your kids improve their problem-solving skills and teach them to be more responsible.
The Essence of Taking Risks
Some parents think they protect their children by not allowing them to take risks. However, they must understand that not taking risks could negatively affect their children's mental and physical growth.
The Opportunity to Become Independent
Allowing children to do things on their own will enable them to become independent. When parents are on their side at all times, it could reduce children's self-confidence, eventually leading to more serious mental health issues.
Affects Children's Mental Health
Helicopter parenting can pose unattainable expectations to their children. This parenting method could eventually lead their children to experience anxiety and depression and may also develop low self-esteem.
Children may also become too dependent on their parents, thinking they cannot do things independently.
Child's Weight
Children with helicopter parents tend to become overweight. It is because they tend to limit their children's outdoor playtime activities.
This often results in children sitting indoors and deprives them of opportunities to develop social skills and exercise.
Realising When You’re Turning Into a Helicopter Parent
Helicopter parenting is a parenting method that involves pouring an unhealthy amount of attention into their children. With this type of parenting style, mums or dads tend to constantly hover over their kids, like a helicopter, even until they grow up.
One of the first indications of your helicopter parenting starts when you can't help intervening in your children's personal issues. When you don't let your children solve problems, they might end up struggling with decision-making as they grow up.
Along with this, we listed other signs of helicopter parenting:
- Do or finish their children's assignments or chores for them.
- Failing or choosing not to accept their kid's failures or mistakes.
- Completely controlling and managing their children's social issues.
- Watching over children at all times as much as possible.
- Refusing to let them join sleepovers because you want to stay beside them all the time.
- Still do things that their children are already capable of doing. This includes supervising the organisation of their older child's rooms or washing and folding their clothes.
- Do not let kids take any risks.
Parents must remember that being involved with their kids' lives is not wrong. However, it will never be possible for them to be with their kids every single time, 24/7.