The 5 types of education that harm children

The terms used to designate educational principles have appeared in number in recent years and sometimes, we can’t find it anymore. We have prepared for you a summary of harmful educational principles for children so that you can understand everything. Helicopter parents, or mowers, if the terms may seem very strange to you, they reflect a certain reality. You may not recognize yourself in only one of these educational principles, in this case continue your research, you may mix up several of them! You can even not be on this list at all and practice an education that does not harm your children, an elephant parent for example.

We have therefore listed and defined all the educational principles that harm children, including a new kid who is appearing, almond parents. And those that have already been mentioned previously: tiger parents, helicopters, mowers, jellyfish… Feel free to take notes!

Helicopter parents are very protective

Helicopter parents are very or even overly protective and they can become a problem when they begin to prevent children from becoming independent. They fly to the aid of their child at the slightest problem so that he does not suffer. They are often intrusive in the lives of their children, at school level but also privately! And above all so that their child does not suffer, helicopter parents avoid leaving him alone and always stay with them. The helicopter parent will plan everything so that their child becomes the best, but at what cost? Catherine Verdier is a psychologist and she explained the consequences of a helicopter parent on the child for aufeminin: “For a child, the fact of repeating to him tirelessly that the situation is serious or that he must be very careful, penalizes him durably. Later, this child will live infantilized on a daily basis and will not manage to apprehend the trials that will stand before him.

Tiger parents are very bossy

The tiger parent is very authoritarian, and often too much, the development of the child can therefore be relatively slowed down by this educational model. Indeed for the tiger parent, severity takes precedence over everything and it is not for nothing. He does this for his child to succeed in life but there is a dark spot, the tiger parent prefers success to the happiness of his child. He wants to have control over absolutely everything and even over extracurricular activities, so he chooses what his child is going to do as a hobby, always with the objective of making a success of his life. Tiger Parents Are Convinced Their Way Is The Right Way and that they act in the direction of their offspring, unfortunately for them this is not always the case and they find it difficult to recognize it.

Mower parents anticipate everything for their child

The lawnmower parent does not want to have to fly to the aid of his child, he prefers to anticipate everything even futile things. He makes every effort to remove any obstacles that may be in their child’s way. Thus the child is not aware of all the dangers that exist, growing up he could be much less independent and persevering than other children. Wanting to protect your offspring starts from a good intention but you have to know how to set limits and let your child live so that he can also discover things on his own. After all, even bad experiences are life lessons!

Jellyfish Parents Are Too Permissive

Unlike the tiger parent, the jellyfish parent is much too permissive which is not without danger either! The jellyfish parent is very attentive to the child and his needs, he is very flexible, so much so that he chooses whatever he wants from an early age. The child has no limits and very little framework in this educational principle. It has been proven that children who have been raised by jellyfish parents have a very difficult time managing frustration, to accept rules, authority and they can become impulsive people. For some, this educational model is profoundly lax…

Almond parents are obsessed with looks

The almond parent is obsessed with his physical appearance and his aging, but the problem is that he transposes his complexes on his child. Indeed, by being so strict about the way he eats, he shows his child that it is important not to put on weight. The almond parent perpetuates beauty stereotypes and fatphobia still present in our society. Children can develop eating disorders as they grow older and it takes a lot of time and patience to successfully get out of these eating disorders.

Parenting writer

Zoé is on a work-study program, she joined the aufeminin team in September 2022, she writes for the parenting section. Committed and curious, Zoé likes to write to advance…