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Whether or not we like to admit it, our parents have a big effect on us - and I don't just mean genetically.

How they raise us can influence everything from our future social relationships to how much fruit we eat...yeah.

It can also have a large impact on our brain and development, which is why it's important for parents to be involved in their kid's lives.

But what happens when they are a little, well, too involved?

A common theme among overprotective parents is to shield their kids from anything that could hurt them physically, emotionally, and even academically.

The parents that take this to the extreme are often referred to as helicopter parents, and that sounds way cooler than it actually is.

But their efforts don't seem to have the desired effect.

A 2014 study on college students found that those with over-controlling parents had significantly higher levels of depression and less satisfaction with life due to their lack of autonomy.

Generally, these parents want to help their kids through life.

But removing all stressful situations from their children doesn't seem to actually help them at all.

Several studies have looked at how stress affects brain and social development in rats.

As opposed to chronic or sustained stress, which stems from things like neglect and violence and is agreed upon to be harmful to children, these studies tested how acute or short-term stress from activities like playing and competitions affected the animals.

For example, one study found that rats that weren't allowed to play-fight as juveniles grew up to have social problems like hyper-aggression and anti-social behaviors as adults.

Overall, these animal studies have shown that brief, controlled amounts of stress during childhood can be beneficial for the development of the brain, social skills, intelligence, and even the immune system.

An authoritarian or strict parenting style doesn't produce the desired effect either.

Take Triangle Bob for example. As opposed to becoming well-behaved and avoiding dangers like drinking, drug use, and other RISKY ADULT BEHAVIORS, children of strict parents tend to be more rebellious, suffer from low self-esteem and emotional problems like depression, and often become bullies.

Despite their popularity, the data shows that corporal punishments like spanking also have a negative impact on children.

Throughout the world, around 80 percent of parents report using physical punishments like spanking to discipline their children, which is scary when you look into what effect spanking has on them.

A 2016 meta-analysis combining the results of 75 previous studies found that spanking results in more aggression, more antisocial behavior, more mental health problems, lower cognitive abilities, lower self-esteem, and more negative relationships with parents.

The parenting style that has been found to have the best impact on children is called authoritative parenting.

It combines discipline and guidance with warmth and support - something I think all of us can benefit from.

Thank you for being a loving parent, Animator.

I appreciate you.

As much as science has told us about different parenting styles, people have lots of different experiences. We wanna hear yours if you're comfortable with sharing in the comment section below!

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As always, my name is Blocko, this has been Life Noggin, don't forget to keep on thinking!