A thing I frequently do as a parent: stopping my kid from doing something so he doesn’t screw it up.
I wish I could stop this. Here’s why:
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He’ll learn not to screw the thing up by screwing the thing up. As long as the stakes aren’t too big, that’s a good deal, long term.
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He’ll become dependent on me if I do everything for him. I want him to be independent.
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When he sees me step in when he’s about to try something new, it discourages him from trying new things, generally, in the future.
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I don’t like the implicit message it sends when I step in: “You are not able. You will screw this up and that is unacceptable.” I want my attitude and message to be more like: “You are able but have a lot to learn. You might not do this perfectly, but that’s okay. That’s a good way to learn.”
What’s more: That probably ought to be my attitude about myself more often, too.