Parents today give kids 25% less housework than they did back in the 1980s. Julie: We need to let bad things happen to our kids. Rescuing them might feel good in the short term, but it'll rob them of a precious opportunity for learning. If your son or daughter hasn't explicitly asked for your help, let them be the ones to navigate conflict during playtime and discuss a bad grade with a teacher.
It's tempting to tie a child's shoe lace, tidy their rooms or help with their science projects - to see that these tasks are done right - but parents are depriving their kids of the valuable experience of falling, failing, and f-ing up.
Former Stanford dean Julie Lythcott-Haims says these "f words" are vital for children if they are to grow into happy, capable and autonomous adults. While Yale psychologist Julia Leonard warns that interfering too often in a child's life can actually teach them that trying isn't even worth the effort.
Further reading:
Michaeleen Doucleff - Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy Helpful Humans.
Julie Lythcott-Haims - How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success.
Marty Seligman - Authentic Happiness
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