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  • Over-parenting lowers kids' mental resilience: Dr. Amen 🧠

Over-parenting lowers kids' mental resilience: Dr. Amen 🧠

Are You Accidentally Making Your Kids Mentally Weak? Brain Expert Reveals SurprisingParenting Mistake

May 15, 2025

Dr. Daniel Amen, a top brain health expert, has a wake-up call for parents: trying too hard to help your kids might actually be hurting them.

What is Over-Parenting?

Over-parenting happens when parents constantly jump in to solve their children's problems. This might seem loving, but it can make kids less confident and more worried about challenges.

The Problem with Doing Everything for Your Kids

When parents always fix things for their children, kids don't learn how to:

  • Solve problems on their own

  • Handle tough situations • Build inner strength

  • Feel confident in their abilities

Real-Life Example

Dr. Amen shared a story about his daughter. When she forgot her homework or coat at home, he didn't rush to bring it to her. Instead, he let her experience the natural result of her actions. This helped her learn responsibility.

Words Of Wisdom

“The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself.”
- Lao Tzu

What Happens When Parents Do Too Much?

Kids who are over-protected might:

  • Feel more anxious

  • Have lower self-confidence

  • Struggle to handle real-world challenges

  • Depend too much on others

The Better Way: Supportive Parenting

Parents can help kids grow stronger by:

  • Letting kids solve their own problems

  • Asking "What can you do about this?"

  • Setting clear, kind boundaries

  • Supporting kids without doing everything for them

Dr. Amen's Key Advice: "We build mental toughness by solving problems."

Quick Tips for Parents

  • Let kids experience small failures

  • Ask guiding questions instead of giving instant solutions

  • Praise effort and problem

Bullet Points:

  • Dr. Daniel Amen points out over-parenting may unintentionally lead to mentally weak children who lack problem-solving skills and resilience.

  • Resolving children's problems and protecting them from hardships can inhibit mental toughness, according to Dr. Amen.

  • Fostering child independence by letting them solve their issues and experience consequences aids in developing confidence, resilience, and responsibility.

  • Dr. Amen encourages a balanced parenting approach of being 'firm and kind', establishing boundaries while showing compassion.