p>Pushy parenting is detrimental to children – even if parents are warm and supportive, according to a study.

Sons and daughters whose parents are over-involved in their lives have a greater likelihood of developing low self-worth.

They are also more likely to engage in risky behaviour such as binge drinking later in life, the researchers found.

The researchers studied the effects of pushy or 'helicopter parenting' – which includes making important decisions for their children, solving their problems, and intervening in their conflicts.

And being a warm and caring parents does not neutralise the negative effects of being so over involved, they said.

Additionally, a lack of warmth makes the negative effects worse.

'From our past work, we thought there might be something positive about helicopter parenting under certain conditions, but we're just not finding it,' said Professor Larry Nelson, of Brigham Young University, whose research involved 438 students.

Overall, stepping in and doing for a child what the child developmentally should be doing for him or herself is negative.

'Regardless of the form of control, it's harmful at this time period.'

Writing in the journal Emerging Adulthood, Professor Nelson said: 'In previous work we suggested that helicopter parenting might be "inappropriately intrusive and managing" but done out of "strong parental concern for the well-being and success of the child".'

'We now recognise that such a description may be inaccurate.

'With the contribution of this study, it is becoming increasingly clear that helicopter parenting is not inherently warm.

'It is not facilitative of emerging adults' development.

'It also represents another form of control (besides behavioural and psychological control) that is linked to maladjustment in emerging adulthood.'

But Professor Nelson stressed that helicopter parents shouldn't overcompensate by removing themselves completely from their children's lives, warning that while young adults need autonomy, they also need parental support.

'Lack of control does not mean lack of involvement, warmth and support,' he said.

Previous research has also found that the children of helicopter parents also tend to be less engaged in school, and are more likely to want to delay marriage. 

Written By Sophie Freeman

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