There’s often a great deal of criticism placed on parents who are protective. This is because it’s extremely easy to be protective to a fault. Sometimes, allowing them to fall off their bicycle (though that sounds horrible in this example,) is preferable to never letting them ride a bicycle in the first place. Of course, we cannot wrap our children in cotton wool, and will often find ourselves stunting their natural development if we do so. But it’s okay to be a protective parent to a rational degree. It’s okay to have firm boundaries, to care for them and wish to imbue our guidance in the strongest and wisest possible sense.
Your child might start to notice you are more observant and stricter than other parents when they attend middle school. They’ll likely notice that Jimmy or Sarah is talking about an 18+ rated television show they aren’t allowed to watch, or they saw horror movies when still children. This can make your child feel left out, even though often they do not know what’s good for them. You are your own guide when it comes to parenthood, and it’s no failing at all to have high standards for yourself as well as your child. The following matters are perhaps the healthiest avenues for all good parents to stay protective:
Caring For Standards
It’s okay to have high standards for your children. Perhaps it’s not healthy to always instruct them to get full marks on every test, or to ace every single subject in school. But always encouraging them to give the best of themselves, to be able to process fear correctly and not run away from it, or, most importantly, to always try again is essential for the healthy development of a child. Too many parents will simply consider a subject to be ‘not the child’s thing’ if they struggle with it, but this doesn’t prove a lack of ability more than a lack of support. Caring for standards and self-belief is essential, especially as they get older, and they start to engage in more adult responsibilities such as keeping their room clean. There’s a fine balance here between the fun of childhood and the willingness to be responsible, and it’s a line you should try and walk well, with just as high standards for yourself, if not more.
Self-Care
Self care is important for you to foster in your children, ensuring that they are well dressed, well groomed, and know how to do that themselves past a reasonable age. For example, ensuring that any tooth development issues are taken care of using Trilliant Dentistry, and helping them learn from a young age how to tell you about issues they might be facing, or how to maintain themselves well with grooming products can ensure they feel a level of independence that they might not have done. Self-care can truly matter in the long term, because at the end of the day, it can inspire the most confidence.
Social
It’s okay to discourage your child from becoming friends with certain others, and to prevent them from any home visits they might be invited to. Their peer group will also subconsciously raise them, and some parents might not have the values you do. Caring for their social experience is simply part and parcel of ensuring their health in the long term.
With these tips, you’re sure to be a protective parent.