Over Protective Parenting
I'm curious if anyone else out there deals with a spouse/s.o. who, in your opinion, is over protective of your children.
My husband has a soon to be 15 year old son, and then we have our 2 year old daughter. Sometimes it drives me nuts when he hovers over her and stays on her heels as much as he does. I know, she's 2, but she as at an age that she needs to be able to discover some things for herself and to develop some independence. I've noticed that when its just her and I, she is more brave and willing to try things on her own than if my husband is there too. As an example, we take her to the park, and he's right there, holding her hand and trailing behind her on the equipment like a shadow-and she expects it and is more hesitant about things when he is around. When its just us, I stay close, following her from place to place, but I give her room to explore and encourage her to try new things independently and she does. The "bridge" she needed daddy's hand to cross become a source of great amusement and joy for her when she gets the chance and encouragment to do it on her own.
I've tried mentioning that he needs to give her some room, but its like the words just bounce right off his thick skull lol. What have others done in similar situations, and is there a polite way to get across to him that our little girl needs some breathing room? He even told my FIL that she is too little for a swing set, when I know lots of moms with kids her age that have a swing set! I just don't want this to be an ongoing problem, and I for sure do not want her to be as *sheltered* as my stepson (a whole other story in itself).