YOU’VE heard of helicopter parents, but have you heard of “lawnmower parents”?

Lawnmower parents are an evolved breed of helicopter parents — the latter the parents who notoriously hover above children, constantly worrying and fussing over them.

Instead of hovering, lawnmower parents clear a path for their child before they even take a step, pre-empting possible problems and mowing down obstacles in their child’s way.

“Lawnmower mums and dad are out there smoothing the way for their kids, giving them a soft, even surface to move forward on,” behaviour experts and authors of Selfish, Scared and Stupid Kieran Flanagan and Dan Gregory told news.com.au.

Lawnmower parents take different forms depending on the age of their child. According to Primary to High School transition specialist Jenny Atkinson, during primary school years, lawnmower parents may take on a more aggressive style, “pushing their child’s agenda ahead of other children or trying to have consequences for their child’s actions reduced or dismissed.”

During teenage years, lawnmower parents can reach a level of control that is very stifling for their teen, Ms Atkinson says.

“Teenagers can become resentful about being so micromanaged, and like to ‘do it their own way’,” Ms Atkinson told news.com.au.

But it all begins when the child is just a baby, commonly in the form of a parent’s excessive anxiety about their child’s safety and whether they’re developing “normally” according to medical standards.

A new mother, who wished to be identified only as Natasha, spoke to news.com.au about her experience.

“I’m afraid I may turn into a lawnmower parent,” Natasha admits. “I am just a new mum and my girl isn’t even four weeks old yet. I’m a science graduate so I should know that germs aren’t all that bad. We need germs to build immunity. But even though nothing went wrong during the pregnancy or birth, I am paranoid. [My daughter] is very healthy but I’m worried I will make a mistake and kill my daughter.”

Natasha says it was the plethora of information online — especially in the so-called mummy forums — that caused her to become paranoid.

“Instead of following my maternal instinct, I am constantly looking at Dr. Google,” she explains. “I’m scared of [my dog] becoming jealous and killing my daughter, as I’ve heard of dogs suddenly attacking kids.

“I change her nappy at the slightest bit of wee or poo as I’m scared of giving her an infection or nappy rash. I jump at the slightest noise she makes, even if she’s happy just laying there making noises. I’m scared of driving my daughter in the car.”

Natasha is extremely fatigued by the level of vigilance she’s upholding, a point which Jenny Atkinson says is one of the negatives of lawnmower parenting.

According to school transition specialist Jenny Atkinson, being a lawnmower parent is very draining. “There can be a constant pressure to make everything right and be vigilant in looking out for obstacles,” she says.

Ms Atkinson also says the parents can be excluded from friendships with other parents as they are viewed as too difficult and competitive to get along with.

According to Ms Flanagan and Mr Gregory, lawnmower parenting can make children scared and dependent. “It can rob them of self-confidence by reinforcing the idea that they are not capable of handling life alone and require help,” Mr Gregory told news.com.au.

Natasha believes her anxiety stems from too much information available online and advice from other people on how to raise her daughter.

“I hope this anxiety goes and I won’t turn into a lawnmower parent,” she says. But Natasha admits that she already worried about her four-week-old daughter being bullied, because she was bullied in school.

“I like to micromanage things in my life, so I hope I don’t pass that onto my daughter,” she told news.com.au. “I blame Dr Google. I need to stop referring to him every time I think there’s something wrong [with her].”

“In short, I can see characteristics of myself becoming a lawnmower parent, but my mind knows that we can’t make everything perfect, and we learn from mistakes,” Natasha says.

TIPS FOR PARENTS

From Jenny Atkinson: As soon as your child is capable of doing something themselves, let them do it. Step back and your child will step up. Let your children learn from their mistakes.

From Kieran Flanagan and Dan Gregory: An assertive parent looks for how to help their kids learn, not just keep them bump-free and happy all the time. They see challenges from their kids point of view and look for the potential upsides, not just the downsides. They are about nurturing resilience not just nurturing.

Do you know a lawnmower parent, or think you might be one? Comment below or join the conversation on Twitter @newscomauHQ | @gracekoelma