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The Bulldozer Parent Who Protects Their Kid From Life Lessons

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Anne Walker was named the Margot and Mitch Milias Director of Women’s Golf (@StanfordWGolf) in 2012, quickly establishing herself as one of the top college coaches in the country. She has guided the Cardinal to four consecutive NCAA Championships berths, and captured the first national title in program history during the 2014-15 season.

Here, Walker describes the evolution of sports parents being Helicopter Parents (who always have a close watch over their kids), to Velcro Parents, to Bulldozer Parents. To Walker, Bulldozer parents do all the work for their kid because they don't want them to get hurt. They push all problems out of their kids way so their kid doesn't experience hardship. By doing this, though, kids not only avoid problems, but also miss learning crucial life lessons. Because parents are bulldozer parents, when faced with issues such as not making the starting lineup, kids will go to their parents rather than finding a strategy or putting forth more effort to succeed, which can be problematic. Walker brings this to the attention of all parents so that parents can avoid this behavior and instead let their kids experience hardship so they can learn how to solve problems on their own.