Reply to Am I a helicopter parent? How to relax with free roaming toddlers??

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Reply to "Am I a helicopter parent? How to relax with free roaming toddlers??"

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[quote=Anonymous]When my DD was 1, a mom friend with a same-age child told me that she "really admired" my ability to just let my child roam and fall down and to not be over-vigilant. I said thanks but inside though, "omg am I a terrible mom????"

Now I get that it's just a function of your kid's disposition and your own tendencies. I could be a bit more hands off with my kid because she was (and is) a shy mama's girl. She has always tended to stick close and to check in with me often. I let her roam a bit because I knew she would never roam far, and I could always watch her out of the corner of my eye or even get a hand on her quickly if I needed. Some kids are bolters, or will put anything and everything in their mouth the second they touch it. My kid was never like that, so I think it was actually good for her and me for me to be a little less hands on, because she needed to learn some independence and I needed to learn to trust her. But for another parent/kid combo, they may be working on listening and checking in, and that requires a different dynamic.

In other words: no, I'm not a terrible mom and you aren't a helicopter parent (your kid is little! it's normal to hover!). Figure out what works for you and it's okay if it's not the exact same thing as works for your friends or for the other parents on the playground. There's a pretty wide range of what is acceptable and I personally only judge other parents on this issue if they are (1) physically or verbally abusive towards their kid, regardless of level of supervision, or (2) ignoring a child who obviously needs help or intervention. Everything else is fine.[/quote]

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