Are today's parents overprotective parents?

In “What Would My Mom Do? (Drink Tab and Lock Us Outside),” Jen Hatmaker argues against the “precious” treatment of children in the 21st century and in favor of a more “free-range” style of parenting. read more

Parents may, in fact, be overprotective but they are reacting to newer cultural expectations and realities. We live in complicated times and solutions will also be complex and varied. We can look back to our childhoods not only in nostalgia but to ask what supports existed then that do not now. read more

I do not really know if parents are overprotective today compared to 10 years ago (it is hard to know how to measure overprotectiveness) but I think parents are becoming increasingly aware and scared about the effects of technology and social media on children's safety and well-being and it might cause them to be increasingly cautious and vigilant. read more

Helicopter parents that seek to shield their children from all forms of adversity are not doing them any favors. Physical exertion, confrontations on the playground, competitions with real winners and real losers, getting minor bumps and bruises, and even periodically experiencing fear are all inducers of acute stress. read more