THE PARENT TRAP: WHEN HELPING TOO MUCH BACKFIRES

Parents often provide high levels of support with the intention of helping.

However, excessive support can:

• Reduce independence

• Reinforce avoidance

• Increase reliance

From a behavioural perspective:

If avoidance is reinforced, it will increase.

Effective support involves:

• Providing structure

• Encouraging independence

• Gradually reducing assistance

This is referred to as scaffolding.