Overprotective Loved Ones

 My family members can be a little overprotective in pretty much everything. Maybe not as overprotective as others, but they're much worse than I would like them to be. It can be cute at times and infuriating at others.

My parents, of course, aren't as bad as my abuelita. When my sister and I were younger, she would drive thirty minutes from her house to watch us get on and off the bus. She claimed that she did this to make sure no one kidnapped us on the way home despite the fact that it was right in front of our development and in broad daylight. She's gotten better, though she still has her moments.

My parents are pretty reasonable most of the time, but they have their moments too. Random moments they hold me back from doing things with no explanation, times when they overreact to things. Driving has made them especially fearful (understandably so, I admit).

Still, when I put things in perspective, they actually aren't that bad. Other parents are far worse: reading their children's books before they read them, stopping them from dating, putting very strict parental controls on their children's computer. There's even a word for it: "helicopter parenting". When I hear the stories of some of my friends, I'm definitely thankful for my own parents.
 
 I've heard there's not all that much you can do when it comes to overprotective loved ones. Arguing will only make it worse. As much as you want to protest, it might only make you look like those dramatic teenagers in the movies. Instead, all you can do is nod and disregard it or perhaps in bold moments, calmly state your case and see what happens.

It might help to see their point of view. You're their precious baby and the world is a harsh, harsh place. Of course, they would want to protect you.

Overprotective parenting is far from harmless, though. It might seem cute, of course, except it does get old after a while. Many times, this means strict parenting and strict parenting often leads to sneaky kids (as a result of the kids trying to maneuver their ways out of strict procedures). Also, a lot of the times, it stops kids from learning how to do things, delaying the inevitable of having kids deal with things they actually have to deal with.

It's hard to protest with overprotective parents because they mean so well. But sometimes, this can't be helped.