Overprotecting him can make him dependent on you.
The anxiety-inducing influence of the media can cause some parents to be particularly fearful for their children. However, there is a difference between protecting and overprotecting your child.
Your child needs protection but not overprotection.
If protecting your child is completely normal and corresponds to the satisfaction of his needs in terms of security, love or attachment, overprotecting, i.e. doing in his place what he would be capable of to do it himself is to avoid any unpleasant feeling and ultimately harm his autonomy.
To make a difference, try to take a step back from your actions by showing him the gestures to do while staying nearby if necessary, but without doing it in his place if you think he is capable of it at his age. It is by learning from his mistakes that he develops his curiosity and intelligence.
Trust yourself
Rather than listening to the most alarmist news, trust your judgment to decide between real danger and let your child experiment with the safety you define. If you’re not comfortable with his grief, keep in mind that doing it for him is sending him the message that you don’t believe in his abilities and that you’d rather make him dependent on you.
If you want to promote their autonomy, let them do what they are able to do on their own so that they feel competent and can learn by themselves from their mistakes by developing new strategies so as not to start again.
Find out more: “I know how to do it” by Alain Laboile and Hifumiyo, Les Arènes editions.
.
