Smothering A Child

Section B: Summary The main idea surrounding this article is the debate regarding if it it is possible for parents to care for there children too much. The author looks at specific examples of what smothering a child, and not giving them any space can do to their overall development. Children could develop an inferiority complex resulting from smothering a child, and also completing tasks they should be doing for them. By taking away the chance for children to fail and make mistakes, the child may not ever learn that it is okay to fail. Failure can often be seen as a primary learning tool that lets us figure out what we can and cannot do, as well as the difference between completing tasks of right and wrong. When children are able to make certain decisions for themselves with some guidance in the right direction, children develop the ability to

The author provides two examples of different cases of hovering and how they can effect a child. In the first case, the mom does every little task for her child. She is too involved in his life and does not know how to give him space. Hillman, the author, inferences that maybe the child's anger issues are coming from a place of feeling inadequate. The author example results from a child not developing properly resulting in bullying kids at school when he does not get his way and having extreme anger issues. Hillman inferences here that this may come from the mom's belief to include her child in all decisions. While some may see nothing wrong with this, by involving a kid in all important decision making the child becomes accustoms to holding power and using it in all other aspects of his life. Parents finding the balance between being involved in their child's life and also letting the child take their own initiative is a crucial piece to