How overbearing parents are actually doing more harm than good.
Orange County, CA - August 23rd 2016 - When a friend is tapping her pen or bouncing her foot in anticipation, intuition seems to kick in that something is bothering her. When you see her outward anxiety, it manifests as your own so you jump into action; trying to help as best you can. The same goes for parents who constantly fret and fuss over the simplest of things their child does. It doesn’t go unnoticed by the little one and parents are actually transferring negative emotions unknowingly to their children. While this excessive concern used to be seen as just a worrying parent, recent studies have suggested this type of overprotecting to have a negative impact on the child.
Suniya Luther found that even in financially stable homes with the means to protect children still can have negative influences on their child. By overreacting, parents aren’t giving their kids the opportunity to experience healthy psychosocial development. This contributes to patterns of delinquency or excessive anxiety among children, continuing into teenage years, from stable homes. If it continues even further, children become unprepared for transitions to adulthood and independent living. While you should want to be involved and have input in all stages of your child’s life, becoming overprotecting can be potentially harmful.
Parents are often nervous wrecks leaving their children in daycare, dropping them off as early as 8 or 9am, and not picking them up until as late as 5 or 6pm. In the past, parents have had no way of staying updated on their child. Now, thanks to technology advancements, having kids in the 21st century allows parents to stay more connected.
Technology developers have produced several different mobile applications that center on connecting parent and child. Interactive apps like My Child have been designed to monitor the development of a child through asking questions, showing you outside content, and finding local experts on the topic at hand. Apps like MyToddlr are even being tested to integrate with daycare facility systems. Care providers can enter updates throughout the day on things like bathroom breaks and time spent napping and it will notify parents in real time.
Instead of racing to doctors with a list of symptoms looked up on WebMD and interfering with the doctor’s ability to do his job, parents can now simply check their phones. Apps like these aim to help parents interact with their children in new ways.
