Every parent has their own way of guiding their child. What works for one parent may not work for the other.
But new research suggests a particular parenting style may hinder skills that children need to have to manage their emotion.
It’s completely natural to want the best for your child, but is there too much of a good thing? Researchers at the University of Minnesota and the University of North Carolina, Greensboro followed 422 kids over the span of eight years. They assessed them at ages two, five, and ten.
Researchers observed parent-child interactions. They asked the kids questions about school problems, and asked teachers about student’s academic productivity. They found kids whose parents were controlling had a difficult time managing their own emotions and behavior.
This study suggests parents should give their young kids some independence. It will help them develop the social and coping skills they need to deal with challenging situations.
So parents take the training wheels off the bike, let your kids do their own homework, and don’t call the teacher if your child fails a test. Letting your kids fail now and then, will help them learn what they can do better next time.
Researchers also found over controlling parenting at 18 and 30 months of age predicted that those kids were less likely to have the ability to shift attention, regulate behavior, plan, and detect errors a year later.
