Julie Lythcott-Haims argues that overinvolved parenting, driven by love and fear, can harm children's development. This overinvolvement stifles children's ability to develop independence and self-efficacy. She states, 'We treat our kids like rare and precious botanical specimens and provide a deliberate, measured amount of care and feeding while running interference on all that might toughen and weather them.' This approach results in young adults who are 'under-constructed' and 'existentially impotent,' unable to navigate the world without constant parental involvement. | Julie Lythcott-Haims | How to Raise an Adult

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The Harm of Overinvolvement

Julie Lythcott-Haims argues that overinvolved parenting, driven by love and fear, can harm children's development. This overinvolvement stifles children's ability to develop independence and self-efficacy. She states, 'We treat our kids like rare and precious botanical specimens and provide a deliberate, measured amount of care and feeding while running interference on all that might toughen and weather them.' This approach results in young adults who are 'under-constructed' and 'existentially impotent,' unable to navigate the world without constant parental involvement.

-- Julie Lythcott-Haims