Sissy Proofed: How We Made The Overprotected Kid

Kids today are growing up sissies. At least, that's the impression you'd get from articles like A Nation of Wimps last year, that stipulated that parent involvement is stifling children and young adults in the growing process, without giving them opportunities to discover on their own, fail, learn and develop. The result is a generation of young adults that feel like they are No Longer a Kid, But Still Not a Grown Up, delaying adulthood even to the point of taking their parents to work with them. In this article, the author takes a look at the events that brought us where we are; for example, how overreacting to a death on playground equipment resulted in nationwide changes to playgrounds that childproof to the point of being completely under-stimulating. And the worst of it? With all our rubber pavement and safe toys, injury rates today on super-safe equipment are almost comparable to the playgrounds of old. What we've lost in it's place is a sense of exploration, imagination, and the ability to gage risk and the ability to conquer fears, like heights.

The kidnapping of Etan Patz was another game changer for raising overprotected children, resulting in a wave of fear over kidnapping that still affects todays children. Despite crimes against children declining over the last 40 years, in 1990 only 9% of schoolchildren were allowed to walk to school alone, compared to 80% of third graders that were allowed to walk alone in 1971 (UK). Gone are the days where children are allowed to be unsupervised. This means less children being free to make their own choices, explore and develop on their own, as they are instead constantly directed by mom and dad and told exactly how far they can go in life, and where.

Parental norms have shifted tremendously, with children constantly being watched and protected, otherwise you'll be called a bad parent. This emphasis on aversion can lead to the developing of phobias, as well as impaired learning. A good article that looks at how we got to this hyper-structured, over-protecting parenting model we have now, how the changing American family has resulted in parents seeking more control, and how a safe, risk free childhood stunts children--an future adults.

The Atlantic