So I show up all ready to help to find way too many other parents eager to help as well. It ended up that the parents did everything except propel the kids through the line. We gave them ice cream, the spoons and napkins, poured on the sprinkles and chocolate sauce. In short, the parents were so invested in helping that the kids had nothing to do but passively accept what we gave them. And I'm as guilty as the other parents!
We create so much pressure on ourselves and others to be super parents, to be involved, to be supportive, that I think we lose track of the ultimate goal of childhood -- to grow into an independent, resourceful adult who is able to take care of him or herself. And we also forget that this is really the child's job, not so much the parent's.
Rather than let our children learn from their mistakes, we protect them from making any -- we "had" to do the sprinkles at the ice cream social b/c the kids might spill them all over the floor. Heaven forbid my child make a mess!! And we want to be needed, to feel more necessary than we probably are; and to appear to our friends and colleagues that we are good, no super parents.
