Most parents want their children to be happy and to well-adjusted. As a parent, there will be many times when we will feel helpless. Some parents will react by controlling as much of the child's life to minimize his suffering and to reduce their own helplessness. This may involve sorting out the child's problems and conflicts, organizing his life and fighting his battles for him.
The longer-term problem with overprotecting our child is that the child is not equipped to cope independently with the pressures of life. As the child grows into an adult, it is even more difficult to shelter him from life stress, as there will be more factors that are out of a parent's control. He is more likely to develop anxiety, to be selfish, have low self-confidence and to give up easily when life gets too hard.
Are you overprotective?
by Julie Lythcott-Haims who was an under graduate Dean at Stanford.