Culture Post: Overprotective Parenting Can Backfire, Lead to Shorter Lifespans for Kids

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by StudyFinds.

It can be tough for any parent to let their child do things for themselves for the first time, especially at the start of adolescence. After all, the world can be a scary place and moms and dads just want the best for their kids. New findings out of Brazil, however, are making a very strong case for parents (and especially fathers) worldwide to give their kids a little extra space. It turns out that children who have more freedom have a better chance of living longer.

Researchers report men who had an overprotective father and generally little autonomy all around during childhood may be at a 12-percent higher risk of dying before the age of 80. The numbers are even worse among women. For females with an overprotective father, the risk of dying before age 80 can increase by 22 percent.

Notably, however, if a woman was also well cared for by their mother during childhood, that risk may decrease by up to 14 percent. Another eyebrow-raising statistic: the study suggests men who lived with only one parent during childhood had a 179 percent higher risk of dying before their 80th birthday.

“The most interesting thing about our study is that we were able to show in numbers what has been discussed about parenting for many years. Caring and loving relationships with your father and mother during childhood have repercussions for the rest of your life. In particular, our findings show how they affect longevity,” said study author Tiago Silva Alexandre. “Public policy should support better conditions during childhood in order for people to enjoy old age.”

“The most interesting thing about our study is that we were able to show in numbers what has been discussed about parenting for many years. Caring and loving relationships with your father and mother during childhood have repercussions for the rest of your life. In particular, our findings show how they affect longevity,” Prof. Alexandre explained. “Public policy should support better conditions during childhood in order for people to enjoy old age.”

“The middle way is best, avoiding both intrusiveness, which stops children from being autonomous, as well negligence or emotional distance. What we call care in the article is a matter of not neglecting but being present and taking care without overprotecting,” added study first author Aline Fernanda de Souza Canelada, who participated in this work for her master’s research.

The study was published in Scientific Reports.

Source: StudyFinds
https://studyfinds.org/overprotective-parenting-lifespan/

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