Hyper Parents and Coddled kids - Moms Forum: EverythingMom Moms Forum for Moms Support

I am not much of a documentary watcher but I watched this tonight on CBC and it had a lot of food for thought and didn't really give me the sense that we are doing the best for our kids the way they are being raised right now.

www.cbc.ca/documentaries/doczone/2010/hyperparents/index.html

What do you think are we raising coddled children that won't know how to survive in the real world or are we giving them every advantage possible by putting them in so many lessons and tutor and special school and all that seems to be caught up in parenting these days?

Thanks for this link! What an awesome doc. I love documentaries. Keep the suggestions coming!

I don't think that hyper parenting kids is doing them any favors. I know a lot of kids who don't do chores, have never cooked a meal, or do their laundry. Many expect their parents to do everything for them and the scary thing? They DO!

Lots of kids are so scheduled it's ridiculous-and sometimes I think it's more like babysitting then to give the kids a well rounded experience. Many of Jake's friends have thought our family is unusual. We spend a lot of time together, have a "family day" where we go do something outdoors, Jake is not enrolled in a pile of after school activities, and we are very big on "down time". It's like they come over and can't believe we're all..."ya whatever, hang out! Relax!"

I don't really understand the parents thinking in this documentary. To me the point of being a parent is to teach your children to survive in the world. My son is only three but I already have him help to set the table and clean up his toys. I think parents should encourage their children to be more self-sufficient in everyday tasks instead of worrying about putting them into every extra-curricular activity they can find.

I have read a few times that one theory to parents putting their kids in so many activities is because they really don't know how to deal with or interact with their kids so it is easier to book them up so they don't have to deal with them. Kind of sad but i have to say I know someone who is very much like that.

That is really sad. I love spending time with Jake. I admit that things have changed and now he's older he wants to be with his friends more, which is healthy. As he's done that, I've slowly found other things to do myself that don't focus on him so much.