Edit Your Life Episode 110: Untangling Overparenting
Overparenting. The term carries a whiff of judgement, as if the line between “just right” and “too much” parenting were obvious. But it’s not that simple, particularly because many of us live in a culture that pushes more and more involvement...sometimes more than even we feel is okay.
In Episode 110 of Edit Your Life, I interview educator Jessica Lahey, author of The Gift of Failure. We have a wide-ranging conversation about overparenting that provides both grace and practical advice. Jess and I talk about letting go of control, how ignoring the grade portal actually encourages learning, and how lovingly stepping back doesn’t have to feel like walking away. While Jess’s tips are directly relevant to parents of school-aged kids, we hope all parents will listen to her wise, compassionate perspective.
Click “play” above to listen. If the player isn’t visible, listen directly at SoundCloud.com, or use a podcast app on your phone or tablet. Not sure how? Click here for directions.
Resources mentioned in this episode
- Minimalist Parenting (our book)
- Jessica Lahey (website)
- Jessica’s YouTube channel
- The Gift of Failure (Jessica’s Book)
- #AmWriting (podcast by Jessica Lahey & KJ Dell’Antonia)
- Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
- Backstory on The Stinky & Dirty show
- When Perfect Isn’t Good Enough by Martin M. Antony & Richard P. Swinson
- Enough As She Is: How to Help Girls Move Beyond Impossible Standards of Success to Live Healthy, Happy, and Fulfilling Lives by Rachel Simmons (forthcoming February 28, 2018 and available for pre-order)
- Helping A Perfectionist Child Worry Less and Do More by Jessica Lahey
- How to Parent and Teach Perfectionist Kids (Jessica’s YouTube video)
- The One Thing You Can Do When the Homework Is Killing You All by KJ Dell’Antonia
- The Downside of Checking Kids’ Grades Constantly by Jessica Lahey
- Related episode: Episode 27: Modeling Imperfection
Question Of The Week
What is one area in which you want your kids to become more independent? Join the discussion on the Edit Your Life Facebook page (look for the Question Of The Week post pinned to the top of the page).
Get In Touch
- Email us at edityourlifeshow@gmail.com
- Talk to us on Instagram or Twitter using #EditYourLifeShow
If you’re enjoying our podcast, please consider leaving a review on iTunes. It’s one of the best ways you can help new listeners find us. Here’s how to leave a review.
Interested in sponsorship?
We’ve got an awesome range of lifestyle, parenting and productivity topics in the queue for future episodes. If you’d like to discuss sponsoring an episode, email us at edityourlifeshow@gmail.com.
Catch up on previous episodes
Here’s a complete listing of every episode.
Featured photo by Angelina Litvin on Unsplash