'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.
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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.
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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?
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Photo: Snow plow parenting / Digital Vision/Getty Images
People need to realize that we're raising adults, not children. Our kids will have to be able to make it out there in the world on their own one day. If they never have to figure out anything for themselves, or deal with failure (because eventually they'll be faced with something that they're - GASP! - not very good at), how are they going to be able to function without mommy and/or daddy there to make it all better?
I hope these parents are prepared to move into their kids' college dorms with them so they can continue plowing the road.
I feel sorry for these kids. Truly.
it's no wonder kids today are a bunch of PUSSIES!!!
parents removing obstacles?
all kids need to be accepted to sports teams...
all kids need to be given passing grades...
all because we don't wanna hurt johnny or suzie's feelings.....
and then you wonder why this country is going to hell....
GET RID OF THIS PC **** and get on with life....
Let the kids play in the dirt, let them come home muddy, let them find a way to salve their own wounds. Let them be children. My parents grew up in the Depression, fought in WWII
( yes, my mother, too ), had six kids and their own careers. They had no time or inclination for the nonsense parents apply to their children today. All six of their kids grew up happy, healthy and educated and we gave them grandchildren. So there.
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