Maintaining a Balance of Upbringing Essay

Introduction

The principles of upbringing promoted by modern parents are different from those maintained by past generations. Today, adults take care of children and do everything possible to make their lives as simple and hassle-free as possible. This approach that is often called lawnmower parenting is not the best educational methodology for several reasons. Children who are not ready for future difficulties and obstacles grow up helpless and fear any responsibility. Maintaining a balance of upbringing is a valuable parental ability, and combining care with giving children opportunities to develop and explore the world individually plays an essential role in forming a strong social personality.

Causes and Consequences of Lawnmower Parenting

Despite adults’ natural desire to improve the lives of their children, mistakes in parenting are often caused by excessive care. According to Fancher, some people do not trust kids and do not show them their approval. Miller and Bromwich confirm this assumption and note that this behavior is explained by adults’ unconscious intention to prevent kids from making the same mistakes that they used to make. However, this approach entails more issues than benefits. Miller and Bromwich argue that “many young people are in crisis, lacking these problem-solving skills and experiencing record rates of anxiety.” As a result, a child cannot adapt to adult life, and parents’ excessive attention is one of the main reasons.

Such parental behavior, as a rule, does not benefit children and creates problems that manifest themselves in adulthood. Examples of college students who cannot interact with teachers personally or get a job to confirm the negative impact of over-care. Wisner characterizes this type of education as incompetent and notes that “lawnmower parents do anything in their power to protect their kids from struggle or adversity.” This form of parenting is called differently, for instance, the snowplow or helicopter method (Miller and Bromwich). However, regardless of the title, the mistakes made by adults are identical. Those children who have not acquired the necessary communication and decision-making skills timely are inexperienced and defenseless. Thus, lawnmower parenting affects the socialization of kids significantly and is an obstacle to natural development. Therefore, alternative methods of upbringing should be considered and evaluated, including their implications on children’s future behavior.

Alternative Approaches to Upbringing

For each case, parental approaches may be different and unique. For example, Sharma-Sindhar does not see anything wrong with following the elephant education method, which is opposed to the tiger one – more rigid and unprincipled. However, the author claims that modern parents do everything possible to ensure a cloudless life for their children, and case studies prove high costs on caring for children and their education (Sharma-Sindhar). In current conditions, a rational approach to upbringing involves maintaining a balance. According to Wisner, “there are a million different opportunities for kids to learn independence,” for instance, through individual interaction with peers and other adults. At the same time, Miller and Bromwich state that lawnmower parenting is a habit that is hard to break. Therefore, even though proper upbringing is individual for each case, alternative principles of interaction with children should be considered.

To help a child develop important social skills on one’s own, parental involvement is acceptable, but ongoing interventions should be excluded. In this case, Fancher notes that kids need to learn to develop motivation individually but not through stimulation by adults. Accordingly, as a practice that maintains a balance of parenting, the encouragement of children’s critical thinking and problem-solving should be promoted participation but by encouraging experience accumulation. Adults should help a child adapt to possible difficulties but not through personal engagement. As Wisner states, if a kid breaks a plate, another time, he or she will be more attentive. In addition to this practice, a joint problem-solving method can be beneficial as a productive educational principle.

Helping a child is a natural phenomenon that cannot be avoided in a family. However, both adults and children themselves should be proactive and strive for independence. For instance, Wisner sees no danger in helping kids overcome significant obstacles through direct parental involvement. Nevertheless, this help should be a supportive but not primary condition. If a child does not learn to make decisions on one’s own, this will not only complicate his or her socialization but also create problems in the future, for example, with employment. As a result, Miller and Bromwich give the thesis that describes the problem under consideration as accurately as possible: “The point is to prepare the kid for the road, instead of preparing the road for the kid.” Thus, by encouraging the accumulation of experience and stimulating joint problem-solving, parents can help a child adapt to life difficulties faster and ensure an appropriate educational balance.

Conclusion

The formation of personality takes place in childhood, and to help a kid socialize better and acquire valuable communication skills, maintaining an educational balance should be promoted in a family. The principle of lawnmower parenting is unacceptable if all the decisions are made for a child. As potential recommendations, alternative principles of upbringing are proposed, in particular, encouraging the accumulation of experience and involving kids in a joint decision-making process.

Works Cited

Fancher, Karen. “The Rise of the Lawnmower Parent.” Pittsburg Mom Collective, 2016, Web.

Miller, Claire C., and Jonah E. Bromwich. “How Parents Are Robbing Their Children of Adulthood.” The New York Times, 2019, Web.

Sharma-Sindhar, Priyanka. “Being an ‘Elephant Mom’ in the Time of the Tiger Mother.” The Atlantic, 2014, Web.

Wisner, Wendy. “In Defense of Lawnmower Parents.” Disney Family, 2020. Web.