This parenting style is very similar to helicopter parenting, with an extreme twist. Not only do these parents obsess over their child, providing him or her with high-quality everything, but they also linger over their child’s every move, protecting their child as if he or she were fragile crystal. Yes, children need protection and can easily get hurt, but they are not made of glass either. A few bumps and falls won’t ruin the child’s life. However, like a precious teacup heirloom, children from these types of families are often treated as their family’s most cherished possession. As a result, many children who are treated like fragile tea cups grow up to be perfectionists. They feel as though they must measure up to a particular standard that was set for them by their parents, who brag about their every accomplishment as if they were putting their child up for auction. However, this parenting style often leads to children, who when they do not get their way, literally crumble.

I never went to pre-school or kindergarten, because as a sickly infant and my mother’s first child, I was her prized possession. When I was very young, she worried about my constantly and undoubtedly treated me like I would break at any moment. She watched over me like a hawk, monitored everything I touched, and would panic to the point of hysterics if I somehow got out of sight. I am one of the lucky ones however; I eventually got older and broke away from her suffocating grip. She still worries more than necessary, but what good parent doesn’t? I did however, hold on to being an over achiever, which isn’t a bad character trait to have to our competitive world.

Tea cup parting is a lot like this next form of parenting. Some moms and dads just don’t know when, or how, to let go.