Paranoid Parenting: Obsessive Control over Children

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The behavior of a child grows in a patterned manner just as the body. Like the physical growth, behavior too is strongly influenced by the home and other surroundings in which the child grows up. While we all have a lifetime to develop varying aspects of ourselves, it is the childhood period that is the most important in acquiring many tools. The strongest and the longest environment to affect the child are the parents. Most parents consider it their responsibility as well as the privilege to provide the best possible environment favorable to child's physical growth. However, often they tend to forget about the behavioral aspect in a child's development. The more a parent knows about the changes that take place in a child's behavior when he grows up, the more successful they can be in guiding the child along the complicated path leading to maturity. The attitude of the parents towards a child is what can make all the difference.

In today's time when the society is dominated by nuclear families and so much emphasis is given on family planning, the bond of closeness has been limited within a small family. Hence, overprotection has become the most common emotion to be found in parents, especially in this part of the world. According to a recent survey by GoDubai, it was found that 77.5% people agree that children in Dubai are over protected and unprepared for the world outside (2000). Many of the parents also try to mould their child just the way they are. As a parent, it is very natural for them to try and protect their children from all the possible dangers in their lives. Nonetheless, a distinction must be made between protection and overprotection. Protection means to keep the children out of real danger. Overprotection is t...

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