'Snow plow' parenting: Helping kids?
Move over, Tiger Moms -- a new parenting trend prevents children from failing.
First there were Tiger Moms. You may recall the extreme style of parenting made (in)famous by Amy Chua's best-selling book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.
Then hovering 'helicopter parents came on the scene -- the overly-involved, control freak style of child rearing.
Now, an all-out mommy war is brewing as a brand new moniker of parenting style comes under attack, "snow plow" parenting.
More from MSN Living: How dogs make our lives better
According to an article on ABC7 San Francisco’s website, "the 'snow plow' parent pushes life’s obstacles out of his or her children's way."
Instead of parenting from a place of healthy involvement, these parents try to eliminate potential roadblocks and pave a straight line to their kid's success.
More from MSN Living: 15 amazing, inspiring baby nurseries
In the ABC7 story, one mom talks about how she used her "snow plow" powers when her son was going out for a basketball team.
"I brought lemon cupcakes to a baseball practice once and realized the coach doesn’t like lemon. So I went home and baked vanilla cupcakes and brought them to his house that evening for his family to share," she was quoted.
In San Mateo, Calif., Aragon High School athletic director Steve Sells tells ABC7 it's apparent in sports, "A lot more money is spent on club activity outside of school," he was quoted. "And a lot more in the way of private lessons."
Kids are pushed to succeed in one sport, and as a result, Sells sees over-use injuries at a young age.
"They're teaching their children a terrible lesson," Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, Ph.D., told ABC7. "If you're not good at something immediately, get out. It's humiliating to be a novice."
In the grand scheme of growing up, what happens if your kid doesn’t get to experience the thrill of winning and suffer a few hard knocks along the way?
Do you think "snow plow" parenting helps or hurts children?
Bing: Tips for raising children with tough love
More from Family Room:
Teen mom denied right to breast feed
Toddler death raises concern over car seat rules
Violent video games and child aggression
Love content like this? Friend us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and find us on Pinterest.
Readers: Calling all mom bloggers – we’re looking for fresh voices on MSN Living. Email us your samples and contact info!
Photo: Snow plow parenting / Digital Vision/Getty Images
Every child has to learn for themselves as we did as kids, you cant force a kid to be good at something they dont like, that just dont work. And I am thankful for my Bumps in life, it makes you who you are. Without obstacles when growing up you will not know what to do when real ones face you later in life !
mommy and daddy cant always be there but should be when needed ..
family: tips, trends & advice for all things family
-
9 Father’s Day gifts for first-time dads
Stumped on what to get the new dad this year? Check out these fun gifts that will make any guy feel appreciated for all that diaper changing this Father’s Day.
-
The best advice my dad ever gave me
Nesties share their favorite bits of wisdom and encouragement from dear ol’ dad.
-
5 amazing, inspiring dads
Dads can be pretty darn great -- doing everything from changing dirty diapers at 3 a.m., to running triathlons for their kid. These five heartwarming stories are just a few more reminders of how awesome fathers can be.
-
Men tell all: 8 changes to marriage every new dad should expect
Some of our favorite new dads got really honest about what's changed in their marriages since their babies were born. In short? A whole lot.
-
Should you train your cat to use the toilet?
It’s not just a Meet the Parents scene. The Litter Kwitter's creator says it takes less time to toilet train a cat than a child.
-
The top 11 ironies of motherhood
Motherhood. It’s the most amazing, most confusing journey of your life. But it also comes with its fair share of ironies. Like, oh, baby is finally sleeping through the night, but it’s in your bed. Or the fact that you just bought baby a whole new slew of pacifiers, but baby now hates his paci.
-
7 great Father’s Day gifts under $100
Whether he’s a gadgets guy or a little more rustic, it’s time to spoil Dad -- without spending too much cash.
-
15 things moms overshare on Facebook
The ugly truth: everyone overshares on Facebook. But, in the world of T.M.I., moms just might take the cake. Instances of mom-overshares on Facebook are rampant, not only within our personal Facebook newsfeeds but also referenced all over the web on sites like babble.com, today.com/moms, stfuparentsblog.com, imom.com, nickmom.com, huffingtonpost.com and more. Listen, we're all for baby news and sweet/funny updates about the kids, but it's the OVERsharing that sometimes makes us squirm. Here are a few things you should rethink how you share, from one mom to another...
-
10 products every cat lover needs
In honor of Adopt a Shelter Cat Month, we're thinking outside the (litter)box and sharing our favorite must-haves.
-
Totally free fun!
Long days, curling waves, flashing fireflies—Mother Nature provides lots of summer fun absolutely free. But we've found her some competition this year. These giveaways and too-good-to-be-true freebies will keep you and your wallet on vacation all the way to fall.
-
The 10 Commandments of Fatherhood
Fatherhood doesn’t come with an instruction manual—we all learn as we go—but here are 10 important lessons for every father to keep in mind as he guides his children through life.
-
20 Pinterest crafting 'fails'
Oh, Pinterest. We love you, we hate you. You inspire us, and you make us feel terribly lame at the same time. But what we always love, without a fault, is finding examples of people who have tried, and failed, to create a Pinterest-inspired work of art. With that, our fave 'fails.' Original Pinterest inspirations on the left, crafting fails on the right - away we go… By Gina Cohen and Charyn Pfeuffer, MSN Living
