SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 Hawaii Parent 121 arents live in a scary world, fearing their child’s failures, worrying about their safety, dreading the loss of connection, and struggling to trust their child’s journey. I created a course, Breaking the Cycle of Anxious Parenting, that guides parents to engage in healthier communication, minimize conflicts, and reduce overwhelm. Nearly every parent I’ve worked with for over three decades asks me, “Will my child be able to navigate adulthood successfully?” One of my best friends, a single mom on Kauai, recently admitted she struggled with helicopter parenting her son, who will be a sophomore at Creighton University. She started with the best intentions, thinking she was protecting him from failure. But when she smoothed out every bump in his life, she took away valuable experiences he needed to grow. Constantly tracking children, nagging them about deadlines, or even making sure their phone stays charged backfires. They lack confidence because they are trained to rely on their parents instead of themselves. Here are seven long-term consequences of overparenting that can lead to chronic anxiety, lack of self-management skills, and severe self-doubt as children transition to adulthood. Chronic Anxiety and High Stress Several of my students attending Mililani Mauka and Ike Elementary Schools share their anxiety during tests and stress over report card grades. They genuinely believe their worth is defined by grades and suffer from insomnia and frequent stomachaches. P
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