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Obstacle parenting: Making kids' lives harder in order to build resilience

Sep 04, 2025
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Katerina Elagina/shutterstock.com

In an era of helicopter parenting and AI-powered shortcuts, some parents are intentionally making life a little harder for their kids. Michelle Cyca, writing for The Walrus, explains her approach of "obstacle parenting" — deliberately allowing children to struggle with challenges rather than swooping in to solve problems…

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