How to be a decent parent without over parenting

We all want to be decent parents, but what happens if we over parent, becoming snowploughs for our children, asks Arlene Harris

We’ve all heard about helicopter parents (and no doubt been guilty of it from time-to-time) but the latest description for modern parenting is ‘snow plough’. This is where all obstacles are removed from a child’s path to ensure a smooth transition through life and the best chance of achieving their wildest dreams.

But while we all want the best for our children, teacher and author David McCullough doesn’t believe that going out of our way to facilitate their every move is beneficial to their development. In his book You Are Not Special: And Other Encouragements he says the modern ‘cult of exceptionalism’ has made children afraid to be average.