You’ve heard of “helicopter parents” and “indulgent parents,” both of which tend to be overprotective.
However, this highly cautious parenting approach has been criticized by some experts for potentially having a negative impact on children’s emotional development. They prefer “lighthouse parenting,” a parenting model that allows for more autonomy.
The term “lighthouse parenting” was coined by Dr. Ken Ginsberg, a pediatrician specializing in adolescent medicine.
In particular, he outlined the benefits in his book Raising Kids to Thrive: Balancing Love With Expectations and Protection With Trust (2015), in which he argued that parents must act as beacons for their offspring. I’m explaining.
“We have to keep them from hitting the rocks, but we have to believe in their ability to learn how to ride the waves on their own,” he wrote.
This educational model encourages parents to give their children more freedom while clearly setting boundaries that should not be crossed.
This is because increasing children’s independence does not mean forcing them to do everything.
Children need to be guided and supported in making choices and asking questions without negative judgment or preconceptions. They have the tools to deal with things that life may throw at them,” American psychotherapist Joe Farrell tells Parents magazine.
This will help your child adapt once he or she leaves the family nest. Unlike his peers who were overly spoiled in their early years.
In a study published in 2019, a team of researchers at Florida State University found that students with helicopter parents were more likely to experience burnout in school than students with less controlled upbringings. I did.
Experts agree that parental overprotection has a negative impact on a child’s development.
Adolescents and young adults who experience helicopter parents for most of their childhood exhibit more depressive and anxiety symptoms, as well as difficulties with socialization.
Letting go to be a better parent
Some believe that all these research findings are enough to prevent fathers and mothers from becoming “hyper parents” who invest excessively in their children’s lives to ensure their infant’s absolute well-being. Sho. However, there was no such effect.
A survey conducted by the New York Times’ Morning Consult found that 74% of American parents have already scheduled medical and other appointments for their adult children.
This overprotective tendency can be partially explained by the pressure on parents to ensure their children’s safety, success, and happiness. It has a lot to do with social networks and the comparative culture they foster.
The Lighthouse Parenting Model encourages letting go to promote children’s development and reduce the burden on parents.
“It’s understandable to want to be deeply involved in your child’s life and know every nook and cranny. But as you get older, you feel like you need to live your own life. As they do, they gradually regress,” psychotherapist Joe Farrell told Parents.
Like any parenting style, Lighthouse parenting isn’t right for every family.
Some children require more attention than others and thrive best in a stricter but less authoritarian framework.
Some internet users are amused by the proliferation of parenting terms. Helicopter parents, bulldozer parents, tiger parents, snowplow parents, and now lighthouse parents…the list goes on and on, and labeling everything related to parenting has proven popular. I am.
However, key players are quite cautious when it comes to the latest buzzwords. “My husband found an article about this lighthouse thing (not on social media) and forwarded it to me with the following comment: “…so normal, normal parenting? AFP Relax News
