O for Overprotective
These days we all prefer going out in cars than walking. My daughters get very uncomfortable when we sometimes decide to walk down to a nearby place as they don’t like crossing the roads due to all the traffic.This made me think- We are protecting them from outside world without realising that they have to learn everything sooner or later.
It is always better that a child learns through his or her own actions. It is only possible if we let them learn it the hard way. I remember one incident when my younger brother was not ready to wear the jacket or sweater while going out in winters. And my mom really tried hard for some time but then gave up. One of my aunts asked her, “What if he gets sick? It’s so cold outside.”
“It’s ok, he is not listening to me and now let him learn the lesson the hard way.” My mom replied.
My Mom’s answer made me question myself as a parent.
[bctt tweet=”Are we protecting our kids so much that they are becoming vulnerable? ” username=”Deepagandhi1″]
We used to do so many things as kids and now stop our children from doing it. Sometimes, I also stop them from trying new things from the fear of fall or fear of getting hurt. My husband finds it easier to let go and reminds me to remember the times when we used to play cricket on roads, fly kites standing on the terrace, or run around unguarded.
I remember how we used to walk down to school on our own or with siblings, ride our bicycles around town or visit friends on our own. Our parents gave us full freedom to go out and explore.
I can understand that childhood has changed. Things like increased number of cars on the roads or perverts in the park have made us fearful. But let’s try to give them little more freedom. Let’s all go back to our childhood and the liberties we had and allow our kids to become more imaginative, creative and little explorers.
I am writing about Parenting for A to Z challenge and sharing my thoughts as a mother of a teen and a tween. Sharing my personal experiences as a mom and hope to help other moms and also learn from them through this challenge. Read all posts here.
A for Affection
B for Believe
C for Confidence
D for Dance
E for Extracurricular
F for Food
G for Guilty
H for Hacks
I for Independent
J for Joint or Nuclear
K for Kindness
L for Looks
M for Money
N for Nutrition
April 18, 2017 at 8:27 am
I grew up in an over protected environment and i had a tough time dealing with life later. So I agree with you , Deepa. Give children the freedom to explore and learn, it is very important.
April 18, 2017 at 9:42 am
Thanks Mayuri
April 18, 2017 at 10:20 am
Finally a realistic modern parent. Overprotection actually harms more than it protects as children do not know how to face real life.
April 18, 2017 at 10:25 am
Thanks for reading 🙂
April 18, 2017 at 12:23 pm
Very aptly written Deepa. My dad always told me to learn from others experience than own. Maybe that is how the ovwr protective nature creeped up. I am unlearning what I learned in a overprotective household.
April 18, 2017 at 1:12 pm
Thanks Ramya..glad you liked it 🙂
April 18, 2017 at 1:51 pm
Ditto I feel dearie. I try my best to give him an opportunity to try it out himself but will always go and check. We need to correct ourselves first. High time.
April 18, 2017 at 3:39 pm
Thanks Roma 🙂
April 18, 2017 at 2:19 pm
I can understand how childhood has changed now but I really feel that kids shouldn’t be protected all the time. I was one protected kid and it took me years of living alone and working to finally be somewhat street smart. I see kids now are so much better at handling life than I ever was. Wonderfully written Deepa.
April 18, 2017 at 3:40 pm
Thanks Raj..glad you liked it. 🙂
April 18, 2017 at 2:35 pm
Hi Deepa, I really liked this post of yours and it resonates so much with us, parents. I think the kind of environment our children are growing in is very different from our own. But, I agree that some parenting techniques are age old wise, tried and tested. And, we need to stop over protecting our children out of fear. If you would like to read my day´s challenge…here goes http://pensense.blogspot.in. Keep writing. Cheers
April 18, 2017 at 3:41 pm
Thanks Tina for reading and glad you liked it 🙂
April 18, 2017 at 2:51 pm
Very true. Our own fears are preventing us from letting them learn things which they will have to learn themselves eventually. We have to learn to set them free…That way they will be less petrified when they have to live on their own. Well written.
April 18, 2017 at 3:41 pm
Thanks a lot 🙂
April 18, 2017 at 5:45 pm
Yeah, we sure got a lot more freedom as kids. Our own children lead a very protected life. I realise this more so now that my son is about to leave the nest. There are so many things he needs to brush up on.
April 18, 2017 at 6:23 pm
Thanks Vinodini
April 18, 2017 at 6:03 pm
Over-protection does more harm than good. We need to give free childhood a chance.
Obnoxious
April 18, 2017 at 6:23 pm
Thanks Neha
April 18, 2017 at 8:26 pm
Protectiveness comes natural with motherhood… we might do all the dangerous things in the world without any fear but the thought of that being done by the kids, I’m sure would feel scary!
Cheers
BoisterousBee
April 18, 2017 at 9:22 pm
Thanks Geet
April 18, 2017 at 9:16 pm
Rightly said. In a lot of situations my mom was really overprotective of us during my childhood. But gradually she reduced. But it hasnt stopped completely 😛 She does that sometimes even now 😛
April 18, 2017 at 9:24 pm
Yup moms are like that. Thanks Reema 🙂
April 18, 2017 at 10:27 pm
We must let our children go, it is our job to teach them independence and responsibility. I trusted my children to make good decisions and treated them as intelligent beings. Yes, they made mistakes, but that is part of life. They are now strong adults with children of their own.
Don’t be afraid of granting freedom to your kids.
April 18, 2017 at 11:47 pm
Thanks a lot Cheryl for sharing your views. I appreciate it. 🙂
April 19, 2017 at 2:54 pm
Lovely post, and its true. Parents today are really overprotective. Matter of fact, my mom still is and I’m almost 30! She would still worry so much if I go out with friends, or travel somewhere. The times are really bad now. So many bad things happening around, that it must be difficult for parents to let go. I can’t imagine the worries that must go through your head for your daughters. But its a cross that parents have to bear I suppose!
Oooops! I read it again! — Re-visiting books that we love.
Regards,
Pikakshi
Readers of the Night
April 19, 2017 at 4:44 pm
Thanks Pikashi 🙂