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| image from clker.com Me being a "helicopter" parent and hovering. |
Jake and Dan went to get fillings at the dentist on Wednesday. They each had almost identical little cavities that needed to be taken care of. As the ladies came and called their names, not at the same time, I stayed seated. I realized that this is a novelty for me. I don't want to be absent when my children need me, and I tend to hover nearby "just in case". In thinking about this tendency I have realized that, while it is good to want to help, I may sometimes be doing them a disservice.
I have perfectly capable children, and it is possible that my hovering communicates the message to them that they can't do this (whatever this happens to be) without me. Jake and Dan managed getting those fillings on their own, and were very well liked by their helpers. It would be good for me to remember that maybe I will be helping them more by letting them handle things on their own. They can do it, even without me hovering nearby!
1 comment:
I think the difficulty for me stems from remembering how well they used to do some of their chores without my supervision (what do you mean my room isn't clean?). A major step in me lessening the helicoptering has been Owen having his driver's license and letting him drive even when the roads might be/are bad. I guess mamas have to grow up too!
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