"There is in these studies a lesson for all parents. Those who allow their kids to find a way to deal with life's day-to-day stresses by themselves are helping them develop resilience and coping strategies. 'Children need to be gently encouraged to take risks and learn that nothing terrible happens,' says Michael Liebowitz, clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and head of the Anxiety Disorders Clinic at New York State Psychiatric Institute. 'They need gradual exposure to find that the world is not dangerous. Having overprotective parents is a risk factor for anxiety disorders because children do not have opportunities to master their innate shyness and become more comfortable in the world.' They never learn to dampen the pathways from perception to alarm reaction."
Normally I think the parenting articles on MSN are a whole hot of hooey, but I would have to say Ithink this one is right on.
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