Parenting in Moderation

A recent Denver Post article suggests that parenting in moderation may have the best outcome for your child. According to the article, having little to no interaction with your child can have a negative impact, but we all already knew this. What is fascinating is that the article suggests spending too much time or investing too much of your energy on your child can also have a negative impact. Apparently, finding the right balance of interaction and time spent has the best results. A parent shouldn’t revolve their lives 100% around their child, the article states. This news could come as a welcomed relief to some parents who think it’s absolutely necessary to be involved in every single thing their child does. So what do you think? How much is too much with regards to parenting, and do you really think it makes a difference?

An excerpt from the article follows:

People often think that when something is good, then more of that thing is inherently better. However, many things in life healthy in small to moderate amounts become harmful in excess. Eating is necessary for survival, but overeating is currently leading to a national public health epidemic. The body also requires adequate rest, but too much rest becomes laziness. Even exercise, in excess, can lead to physical injury. We would like to argue that the same is true about parenting. It is possible to have too much of a good thing.

Research has clearly established that it is beneficial for children when their parents are involved in their education and activities. Many studies have pointed to the benefits of parents talking to, reading to, playing with, and providing their children with activities that help them develop and learn. In fact, early intervention specialists teach these very behaviors to parents of at-risk children because children with more involved parents tend to perform better academically, have more friends, and exhibit fewer behavior problems.

However, it is important to note that the benefits of parental involvement are found when researchers compare parents who are generally uninvolved with those who already play an active role in their children’s lives. When going from low involvement to moderate involvement, the benefits are numerous.

Read more:Parenting: Best done in moderation – The Denver Posthttp://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_23207971/parenting-best-done-moderation#ixzz2TIoZOTyT