Parenting: Are Panda Parents the Better Parents?
Created: 07/27/2022, 12:00 p.m
By: Judith Brown
In contrast to the strict parenting style of helicopter parents, panda parents are considered relaxed.
This has many advantages for children.
The helicopter, lawnmower and submarine parents have now been joined by another type of parent: the so-called panda parents.
While the former are sharply criticized by educationalists and experts for their overprotective parenting style, panda parents manage to give their children enough freedom to develop.
The fact that this concept can be promising is shown by the children of the author, journalist and teacher Esther Wojcicki, who developed this educational method: two of her three adult daughters are CEOs and the third is a professor.
Parenting: Are Panda Parents the Better Parents?
Panda parents maintain a relaxed parenting style.
They combine soft and hard techniques.
(Iconic image) © Mareen Fischinger/IMAGO
Panda bears are generally lazy.
Applied to the upbringing style, however, this only means that so-called panda parents are relaxed about the upbringing of their children and give them enough freedom.
“Panda moms are not lazy.
What they do is give children scaffolding so they can express themselves freely.
Instead of always intervening, you only help when they need it," Wojcicki told the British online magazine
Dailymail.
In contrast to the strict parenting concepts of helicopter parents, panda parents guide their children more gently.
They intervene as little as possible in the action, combine soft and hard techniques and offer "a perfect balance between cuddly and claws".
Instead of pushing their children in a certain direction, panda parents accompany their offspring.
Unlike so-called lawnmower parents, they would probably never get the idea to do their children's homework.
Rather, it is about making compromises.
"Let the kids play for two hours - one hour with apps they like and the other they can play what they like," advises the journalist.
Wojcicki's upbringing style also encourages the little ones to take on responsibility.
Therefore, according to the teacher, trust in the child plays an important role.
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Panda parents trust their children to trust themselves
“The most important thing for a child is that they are trusted.
Because then it also trusts itself. If you don't have anyone who believes in you, who trusts you, then you're always anxious," said Wojcicki in an interview with
Zeit Online
from 2019. The teacher also criticizes the school system.
In her view, there is a lack of kindness towards the children.
“Children do a lot of things wrong, they drop things, spill them, make a mess.
Most mistakes are made at school.
But school is not friendly, in fact it is very mean.
If you get it wrong the first time, you'll get a bad grade straight away.” The upbringing of helicopter parents can therefore often lead to children being overwhelmed and panicking about failure.
The pediatrician Burkhard Voigt recommends interaction to parents instead of too much care, in order to make them strong and prepare them for life.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor. Unfortunately, our editors are not allowed to answer individual questions about clinical pictures.