The Effects of Babying Your Child

Dependency

• Your little one naturally depends on you for the big stuff such as food, clothing and shelter. But when you baby your child by making choices for him or doing things he could easily do himself, you teach your child to be dependent on you for the long run, warns psychologist Lisa Firestone in an article for "Psychology Today." She refers to the condition as a type of abuse -- causing your child to rely on you for that which he could do himself can cause long-term damage. A dependent kid soon becomes a dependent teen and eventually, a young adult who lacks basic life skills.

Low Confidence

• Making decisions, learning new skills and weathering consequences all teach your child to be confident in his abilities as he grows, according to KidsHealth. Taking away those opportunities could result in a child who has low confidence and relies on you to bolster his self-esteem. Taking away those opportunities by making those decisions or doing work for him robs him of the achievements that help increase his self-confidence, even at a young age.

Cognitive and Social Delays

• Babying your child when you should be fostering independence and life skills can result in a child who experiences social and cognitive delays, warns executive director of the NeuroLeadership Institute David Rock, in an article for "Psychology Today." Without the proper experience in certain social settings or the ability to express himself cognitively by making decisions, your child could lack basic skills. This could affect his experience at school and in life because he constantly looks to you for approval and for backup.

Manipulation

• While babying your child when he's young can seem like an act of love, a coddled child can learn to use your behavior to his advantage. Dr. William Sears says on his website that excessive permissiveness can lead to a child who is manipulative and entitled -- after all, if you're willing to give in, he'll probably use that to his advantage. A lack of boundaries and consequences can lead to an older child or teenager who manipulates you, acts out and doesn't understand the consequences of negative behavior.