Colman Noctor: Children need shepherds, not engineers 

Rather than micro-managing their lives or spreading ourselves too thin to enable them to participate in every extracurricular activity possible, we need to take a back seat, let them develop at their own pace, and be there for them when they need us

Colman Noctor: "While parents should not be overly controlling of their children’s decisions and activities, parental connection is important. So, we offer support and direction when they need it without becoming overly dominant in their choices."

PARENTS are far more involved in their children’s lives now than in past generations, which is undoubtedly good. However, this high level of participation has also created a parallel increase in the sense of responsibility for the ‘outcomes’.  Whether this is measured in terms of academic, artistic or sporting success, the consequences of parental over-involvement are plain to see.

Most of us have heard stories of deplorable parental behaviour on the sidelines of pitches in children’s sports or the exponential rise in young people being sent for grinds, piling more pressure on young people to perform and give a return on the investment.