Overparenting

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A parenting practice marked by excessive involvement and control over a child's life experiences and decisions
2. A style of raising children characterized by overly intrusive supervision and regulation of their activities
3. A parenting approach involving extreme monitoring and influence on a child's choices and experiences

Etymology: Overparenting is about as transparent as English compounds get: the prefix "over-" attached to "parenting," meaning excessive or too much parenting. The prefix itself is an old native English one, used since Old English to signal excess, as in "overeat" or "overlook," and it has been productively attached to all sorts of nouns ever since. What makes the word worth a closer look is how modern it is in use. Its meaning centres on extreme monitoring and steering of a child's choices and experiences, a style of hovering close enough to shape almost every decision, from schoolwork to friendships. The concept is widely discussed, but the word itself is a recent formation built from an ordinary pattern rather than from any older term.

Synonyms: helicopter parenting, overprotection

Antonyms: freedom, independence