Connect with Your Child but Understand why NOT to Overdo it

As parents, we all want to connect and be involved with our child.  Children of involved parents generally feel more confident, poised and have a higher level of self-esteem.  They excel in school and do well in extracurricular activities and with their hobbies.  

But is there such a thing as too much involvement? It's crucial when you're becoming involved with your school-aged child's activities and academics that you understand the line of what being too involved can be.  

Remember, you're becoming involved in your child's life.  It's important that you don't encroach too much upon it.  Children need their space and privacy and they need to be able to develop their own skills, talents and abilities.  In our eagerness to help our child succeed, it's alluring to want to step in and start doing things for them because you feel they are doing it incorrectly or inadequately.  But remember, you had to learn too, and this is their chance to learn on their own.  

Be there to encourage and support your child, and offer praise at a job well done.  But also remember to step back and allow your child to learn from their own mistakes, and to develop their own way of doing things. We all know from our own life experiences that there's always more than just one way to do something, and just because your child is doing it differently than you would doesn't make it wrong.  Who knows, it could present a wonderful opportunity for you to learn from your child as well.  

In addition, try not to become too overbearing or intrusive when it comes to their social life.  Be available for them should they need to talk and encourage them to share their troubles with you so you can help them sort through a problem.  But if they say they don't want to talk about it or they just need some time to figure things out for themselves, respect that need by letting them know you're available whenever they need you.  

Trying to overdo in your role as a parent results in having a child with poor decision-making ability and this in turn poses a real challenge for the kids when they grow up.

This is an important part of growing up and allowing a child to figure his own way through things is an integral part of that process.