Over-Parenting

There’s a fascinating, if slightly alarming, trend in modern parenting often referred to as ‘snowplough parenting.’ Unlike ‘helicopter parents’ who just watch their kids constantly, snowplough parents actively move ahead of their children, clearing every obstacle and hardship out of their path before they even encounter it. On the surface, it looks like ultimate devotion, but it’s actually a form of unintentional sabotage.

By insulating children from failure, we’re depriving them of the immune system of the soul. Resilience isn’t something you’re born with; it’s a muscle developed through navigating disappointment and solving your own problems. When these kids eventually hit the real world – which, let’s face it, doesn’t have a snowplough – they lack the grit to handle even minor setbacks. We’ve traded their long-term independence for their short-term comfort. We need to learn to step back and let them skin their knees occasionally. A bruise at age seven is a lot cheaper than a psychological crisis at age twenty-five.