The UFO Parent

In my first year of parenthood I became very aware of a problem I myself have at times. I call it UFO parenting and that is basically a style of parenting that uses a tractor beam style overwatch that never lets your child go near anything you consider unhealthy or dangerous . I was and at times still am bad about keeping to tight a grip on what my daughter is doing and that stops her from experiencing new things or going to the third level on the playground. This is not always the best approach to parenting even though it makes you feel better. Sometimes if your child isn't allowed to express themselves it can stunt their emotional growth and make them depend on you for even the smallest interaction. I know this is good in most cases but as your child grows older if you the parent are stuck in the UFO cycle it gets hard to break and can cause a rift between you and your child. I am the worst with my daughter when it comes to letting her play like she wants to play just because I think she can't do it. Because it is unsafe to me doesn't really make it unsafe to do. Like the third level at the playground not really unsafe but to me a giant unsafe platform she can fall off of. In my mind I need to hover over her to make sure she does not go to that level but when I am at work and my wife takes her to the playground there is a video of her sliding down the slide from the third level and waving from the catwalk on the third level. So my child can play at the third level and be fine I just have to break the block in my mind that says don't let her because something might happen. By the way something might happen everyday but we can't let that as parents stunt our child's experiences and their growth. Thanks for reading and have a great day.