Page 19 - Dainfern Precinct Living Issue 3_2024

Initiative
HEALTH

helicopter parenting is that it accustomed to always having Lighthouse parenting centres around
backfires. The underlying message their way, resulting in a sense of balancing love, respect, and trust between
sent to the child is, ‘My parent entitlement. parents and children. It aims to help
doesn’t trust me to do this on my parents provide a strong, supportive base
own.’ This message, in turn, leads to • Undeveloped life skills: Parents who for their children to rely on, placing trust in
a lack of confidence. always tie shoes, clear plates, pack children’s decision-making skills and their
lunches, launder clothes, and monitor ability to cope with any consequences that
• Undeveloped coping skills: If the school progress, especially when
parent is always there to clean children are mentally and physically may arise from them.
up a child’s mess or prevent the capable of doing the task, prevent
problem in the first place, how does children from mastering these skills. Some examples of lighthouse
parenting include:
the child ever learn to cope with
disappointment, loss, or failure? As a THE “LIGHTHOUSE PARENT” • allow children to make their own
decisions and trust they will make good
result, helicopter parenting can lead According to an article by Dr Kenneth
to maladaptive behaviours, such as Ginsburg, lighthouse parenting is when choices.
it can impair their child’s ability to a parent creates a balance between love • are an example of kind, respectful, and
regulate emotions and behaviour. and setting limits for a child to ensure thoughtful people for their children to
that a child is nurtured and safe and model their behaviour after.
• Increased anxiety: Over-parenting respects parents as important figures
is associated with higher levels of in their lives. Parents should act as a • comfort their child when they turn to
anxiety and depression. lighthouse while raising their children, parents after experiencing challenges.
including being a guiding light/example for
• Sense of entitlement: Children their child to turn to, providing a sense of • set clear rules for their child to protect
who have always had their social, safety in times of trouble, and informing them, and trust that they will follow and
academic, and athletic lives adjusted their child of danger, but allowing them respect the boundaries.
by their parents can become to navigate the challenge independently.

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