https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 26 Apr 2026 21:33:48 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-too-overprotective-of-your-lo#post-1521371 Tue, 25 Mar 2014 22:15:33 +0000 irene 1521371@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It is hard to judge myself if I were overprotective or not.... I would like to think I am laid back but I probably am not in other people's eyes? At least I don't go pick him up when he falls down and cries and I ask him to get up and dust off the sand on his hands and pants.... so at one point LO doesn't really cry anymore after he falls (unless if it really hurts, of course!). He just gets up and runs around as if nothing happens. </p> <p>I don't think I can leave him outside and play by himself though. There are actually sightings of coyote in our neighborhood (someone took a picture of the coyote standing on someone else's driveway!), not to mention there are cars driving by. DH also always scare me that there are snakes in the backyard (I mean, seriously?). So as much as I wanted to, I don't think I would do that until he is MUCH older.</p> <p>I've seen my neighbor - their son is 4 months older than mine (2 years). There was a time he fell down, he screamed and cried so loud and 3 adults (mom, grandma and grandpa) all rushed over and hushed him, and he cried louder. I guess at least we are not doing that.. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-too-overprotective-of-your-lo#post-1521261 Tue, 25 Mar 2014 20:50:40 +0000 mediagirl 1521261@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just finished the True Detective series. Yes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-too-overprotective-of-your-lo#post-1521219 Tue, 25 Mar 2014 20:33:13 +0000 artsyfartsy 1521219@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO is only 4 1/2 weeks old so it's hard to say if I'll be like this forever but I'm actually super laid back. I thought I would be overprotective and neurotic about everything but I'm totally relaxed. My niece (she's 1) poked him right in the face, almost in his eye two days ago and everyone looked at me but I just laughed. LO didn't even flinch. I'm surprised this is my attitude. </p> <p>As he gets older and can get into more trouble/danger then I'm sure I'll probably change. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-too-overprotective-of-your-lo#post-1521171 Tue, 25 Mar 2014 20:09:59 +0000 shopaholic 1521171@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I will be/am overprotective. Every time I consciously try to be more laid-back, something happens! And then the stories like the Alexa wall and the razor blades. But I will always try to be a little more laid-back than I am comfortable with so LO can still enjoy being a kid. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-too-overprotective-of-your-lo#post-1520794 Tue, 25 Mar 2014 16:35:08 +0000 pui 1520794@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think this article is really interesting, but I still feel there has to be a middle ground somewhere.</p> <p>I think that overall our generation is leaning towards the overprotective side of things. I think there is something to be said for letting your kids do things that may be "dangerous" to a degree. Let them climb trees, or go the wrong way up the slide, or hang from a low zipline. Let them take little risks like that.</p> <p>However, I wouldn't let my 6 years old play with a hatchet and all my kids will be wearing helmets while riding a bike. I think there is a space between micromanaging all your kids play because you are concerned at every single corner that they might get hurt and letting your kid play with pallets with sharp edges and possible loose nails. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-too-overprotective-of-your-lo#post-1520061 Tue, 25 Mar 2014 12:57:18 +0000 Mrs. Sunshine 1520061@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm way laid back compared to DH is in many ways. I way more laid back than MIL as well. She tends to get very upset when I allow DD (6.5 months) to play in the grass or leaves or if said grass or leaf gets picked on for a second before I'm able to get it from her. We don't live near a road &amp; all our neighbors are family so I'm sure when she gets older there will be a lot of unsupervised out door time. But we live in a fairly safe area. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-too-overprotective-of-your-lo#post-1520051 Tue, 25 Mar 2014 12:54:24 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 1520051@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I'm on the opposite end... I'm really easygoing, and more "they'll figure it out". I don't worry a lot in general though - I'm a pretty glass half-full, optimistic type person. DH balances me out and always thinks about the worst case scenarios, so it's made me a little bit more aware of the possibilities that could happen if I'm not careful enough. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-too-overprotective-of-your-lo#post-1520027 Tue, 25 Mar 2014 12:49:11 +0000 Mrs. Chocolate 1520027@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Im laid back I think within reason to their age currently but I dont think they will have the same freedom I had as a child either and my mom was decently helicoptorish when I was young too.. I read a great article recently about risk taking too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-too-overprotective-of-your-lo#post-1519934 Tue, 25 Mar 2014 12:19:15 +0000 mrs. tictactoe 1519934@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am pretty laid back, but he's still young and I don't know if I'll feel comfortable letting him walk to school by himself... ever. It scares me! But I know my husband wants him to be able to do that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-too-overprotective-of-your-lo#post-1519923 Tue, 25 Mar 2014 12:15:47 +0000 blackbird 1519923@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am less protective than my parents, so far. They are extremely smothery/helicopter-y/paranoid. They hover over E while she was learning to walk and I sat on the couch and waved my arm, going, "she'll figure it out, her ass is padded" lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-too-overprotective-of-your-lo#post-1519884 Tue, 25 Mar 2014 12:04:37 +0000 luckypenny 1519884@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH is always semi-appauled when I tell him stories of how much alone time my sister and I had while on family vacations and in our day-to-day lives. I think a lot of that is because we were not my parents first children and they were in their 40s and 50s when we were born. </p> <p>With my kids? I like to think that I will be somewhere in the middle. I want them to explore and feel risk but all depending on the situation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-too-overprotective-of-your-lo#post-1519841 Tue, 25 Mar 2014 11:49:51 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1519841@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I read that article and think it makes a lot of good points. I'm also pretty laid back and what I find funny is that DH worries more about the little bumps and bruises...I like to let LO kind of figure things out himself (within reason). I really like the correlation with understanding risk-taking and how it can correlate into later years. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-too-overprotective-of-your-lo#post-1519727 Tue, 25 Mar 2014 11:13:13 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1519727@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I'm pretty laid back... but not as much as my parents were! We lived on a lake and pond and we were always allowed to play outside unsupervised. It was just drilled into our heads that we don't go down to the lake without an adult or play by the pond, and we listened! </p> <p>I don't know if I could do that with my kid... and especially not where we live. There are a few families in my apartment who let the kids just play outside the apartment and do whatever they want, and I don't know if I could do that (the kids are &lt;10). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-too-overprotective-of-your-lo#post-1519596 Tue, 25 Mar 2014 10:43:24 +0000 mrsjyw 1519596@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I've been pretty laid back in most of my parenting of an infant/toddler, but I know that when they become school-aged, we will not let them have the freedoms that we had when we were younger. DH and I've discussed how we'd handle sleepovers, playing outside after dark, etc. and it's very much different than how it was when we were raised, but there's just so much more out there in the public knowledge to worry about... it makes me sad but it's what we feel comfortable doing in our parenting. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-you-too-overprotective-of-your-lo#post-1519506 Tue, 25 Mar 2014 10:27:32 +0000 Mrs. Bee 1519506@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There's a great article in the Atlantic about overprotecting our children:</p> <p><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/03/hey-parents-leave-those-kids-alone/358631/" rel="nofollow">http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/03/hey-parents-leave-those-kids-alone/358631/</a></p> <p>I am definitely way overprotective compared to how I grew up. I was allowed to play unsupervised pretty much always, and there were so many instances where I could have died! I just can't imagine letting Charlie and Olive have as much freedom as I did as a toddler/young child. But I also suffer from bad anxiety so it's hard not to worry about them getting hurt.</p> <p>Are you overprotective of your LO? Do you wish you were less? </p>