Pointing out learning opportunities reduces over-parenting

Over-parenting––taking over and completing tasks for children––is pervasive and negatively impacts children’s motivation. Can simply pointing out how much children can learn from their actions reduce over-parenting in early childhood? In Study 1, U.S. parents of 4-5-year-old children (N = 77; 62% female; 74% White) reported taking over less on tasks they view as greater learning opportunities, which was most often the case on academic tasks. Studies 2 and 3 (N = 140; 67% female; 52% White) show that framing the everyday, non-academic task of getting dressed as a learning opportunity – whether big or small – reduces parents’ taking over by nearly half. These findings suggest that merely pointing out learning opportunities boosts autonomy-supportive parenting in early childhood.