Are You a Snow Plowing Parent? Ep 312

Do you find yourself saving your kids from adversity and challenge?  Do you spend excessive amounts of time fighting your kid's battles?  If so, you may very well be a snow plowing parent.  

There are a number of different parenting styles but in the last decade one that has grown in use has been called the Snow Plowing Parent, or sometimes called, Bulldozing Parent. Either way, it is expressing the idea that the parent is attempting to clear a pathway for their kids to make the route as easy as possible for the kids.  While this typically comes with the best of intentions, we have seen it backfire on us and create much bigger problems than we initially were attempting to solve. 

As much as we don't like it, stress and pressure are part of life and actually turn out to be a good part of life when taken in healthy doses.  Stresses make us stronger and more capable over the long haul due to teaching us how to handle and adapt to the stress loads that life will be throwing at us. 

Think about a tree that grows in a dense forest.  Then cut away all the trees in the forest except for the single tree.  Initially is looks so tall and beautiful standing on its own, but then the first big wind comes only to uproot it and topple it to the ground.  Why?  The tree simply did not built the strength in the root system, branches, and even wood to sustain these kinds of outer forces.  

In order for a tree to handle such stresses it should grow in an area where winds push to create a response of strengthening from the tree; more roots, lower branches, more dense wood.  

Check out this week's show to see how you can catch your snowplowing parenting and make adjustments to equip your kids for the best opportunities. 

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