Overparenting can affect a child's mental and behavioural health

It is a commonly known fact that excessive imposition of discipline and strictness affects kids’ mental and behavioural health. However do you know that being an overprotective parent can also affect your child in a negative manner? Read on to know what experts have to say

Parenting can get tough especially in today’s world where the safety of our children is all the more concerning. Having said that, parents tend to become overprotective and insecure, unaware of the fact that this can affect their child’s mental and behavioural health. Overprotectiveness is when parents have the tendency to shield their children excessively and become too concerned about their safety. At times, parents are also willing to cater to all that their child's demands, neglecting their mistakes and supporting them even when they misbehave.

Psychiatrist Dr. Renuka Sharma says that overprotective parents intervene in their kid’s life so much that it begins to affect them on a mental level. She mentions that neither excessive discipline nor excessive freedom falls under ideal parenting. Both of these can affect a child’s self-confidence, decision-making ability, point of view, understanding of what is right or wrong and behaviour towards others.

Overparenting

Dr. Renuka explains that overparenting is when parents control all their child’s activities, like what, when and how much they eat, what they wear, who they play with, what they read or watch and how they behave with others. Parents are keen to fulfil all their children's demands and needs even before they ask or work for them. They do not wish their kids to struggle or face failure or misery. Although all parents follow this to a certain extent, going over the top can affect a kid’s mental and behavioural health.

Impact on kid’s development

Kids’ development is hindered when everything is served to them on a silver plate. Parents give priority to kids’ convenience and do not want them to get into trouble. But what they fail to understand is that kids won’t learn to resolve their problems until they make mistakes. Parents must push their kids to do new things on their own and support them. Because, if the child is made dependent from the very beginning, it becomes difficult for him or her to make decisions in future and accept failure. They will always seek guidance and will never be able to make independent decisions. All this can further affect their self-confidence, self-esteem and problem-solving skills.

Maintain a balance

Dr. Renuka explains that children growing up in a completely dependent environment are likely to have higher levels of stress, anxiety, fear and depression even after growing up. Along with this, they also experience dissatisfaction and are excessively dependent on the people around them. Therefore, it is important for the parents to have balanced behaviour during the upbringing of their child. Instead of being overprotective, parents must inculcate discipline and good habits in their children. They should teach them the judgement of right and wrong, motivate them to be self-reliant and encourage them to do the right things.