Learn why spending too much time with your kids can affect their future.
Parents now a days have become a little too involved in lives of their children. According to a study conducted by the University of California, today’s parents spend twice as much time with their kids as compared to 50 years ago. Fathers spend more than four times the time.
A study that was conducted in 1965, showed that dads and moms used to spend an average of 16 minutes and 54 minutes with their kids, respectively. Today the time that parents spend with their kids is 59 minutes for fathers and 123 minutes with mothers.
This might look like a heart melting development, as a lot of studies have showed that parents play an important role in shaping their kid’s future; but this is not a very good technique in raising kids. According to Lythcott, former Stanford dean, parents are not doing their kids a favor by spending so much time with them.
Hey statists and personal experience has showed her that children raised by ‘helicopter parents’, who are overprotective, more inclined to have prescribed depression and anxiety medications and may recreationally take pain pills when in college.
Lythcott believes that people are spending more time with their kids due to a decline in neighborhoods. People are spending less time with their community and more time confined with their kids at home. The study also shows that now a days kids spend less time outdoor as compared to prisoners.
As kids spend less time playing outside, the shared awareness that we all are taking care of each other has almost vanished. Today people think that it’s up to ME to look after MY kid, whereas decades ago it was everyone looking after our kids. Now people have a more individual sense of parenting.
The study concludes that fathers spending four times more time with their children shows how household duties are now being divided, mainly because a lot women are now working and fathers stay at home.
Lythcott says that parents should have a balance of authoritativeness and friendship with their kids. This is how children become accomplished members of the society who can be manage their own life and not be dependent on their parents for every small thing.
You cannot quantify the amount of time parents should spend with their kids, but it is clear that if you want your children to be independent, you cannot always be around. Give them the opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them. This is will make them stronger and confident.
