Backing Off

I did a talk on Hyper parenting the other night. This is such an interesting subject these days. Thought I'd send a few thoughts your way.

Some parents seem to believe that if they aren't involved in their child's life 100 % of the time, then they are doing something wrong.

If we never loosen the grip on our children how will they learn to live on their own away from us? When we do all for our kids, we rob them of their own sense of accomplishments and the learning they experience when they make mistakes. This can lead to low self-esteem.

One way to back off is to connect with ourselves. It isn't being selfish. Don't look to your children to get your emotional needs met. Find other adult relationships, especially the one with yourself. If we depend on our children for our needs then we rob our children of their own childhood. There's enough pressure out there as it is for our children.

How will the quality of your life be better if you take time for yourself? Take a yoga class or read a book. Connections with our significant other is crucial. Children are actually happier when parents are happy.

* msabcmom - flickr