Pushy Parents

This weekend our cub scout pack will be racing their pinewood derby cars. This is supposed to be a learning experience for the 8-10 year old boys. We've devoted the past 6 weeks to drawing a cut-out template on the cars, sanding them, applying a base coat, a prime coat, and racing stripes. However one boy has had nothing to do because his dad made his car in the very first week. It looks great but the son had zero involvement in its creation. Tragic.

NPR tells another story of parents doing too much, Easter Egg Hunt Canceled Due To Aggressive Parents. "Organizers of an annual Easter egg hunt in [Colorado Springs,] Colorado attended by hundreds of children have canceled this year's event, citing the behavior of aggressive parents who swarmed into the tiny park last year, determined that their kids get an egg." Ropes had been set up for a kids-only area but parents jumped the ropes to help their child get the most eggs. The egg hunt was over in seconds, with many tots finding nothing.

"Parenting observers cite the cancellation as a prime example of "helicopter parents" — those who hover over their children and are involved in every aspect of their children's lives — sports, school, and increasingly work — to ensure that they don't fail, even at an Easter egg hunt. .. (The parents) can't stay out of their children's lives. They don't give their children enough chances to learn from hard knocks, mistakes."

Bottom Line

Have you observed aggressive parents?