Are you a 'pushover parent'? The Wall Street Journal lists some warning signs, tips.

You may be a &#039;pushover parent&#039;

(Image credit: The Wall Street Journal/YouTube)

last updated 21 July 2015

If you're not sure whether you are a "pushover parent," or even knew such a designation existed, The Wall Street Journal's Tanya Rivero is here to help. In the WSJ video below, Rivero interviews Gigi Schweikert, an expert on parenting and child development, and the telltale signs for pushover parenting are pretty much what you'd expect: You don't say "no" enough; you act as though the world is revolving around the child; you do too many things your child should be doing for herself; and you might even blame other adults for your child's misbehavior.

But Schweikert isn't just suggesting you might have a problem; she also has some tips. Most of them seem pretty sensible, and some are quite helpful: Her explanation of "the non-choice choice," for example, and her solution for how to deal with a child halfway through a show he isn't supposed to be watching. Schweikert has a warning, too: Telling teenagers what to do requires more "finesse" than with toddlers, she says, and "that's why if you're the pushover parent now, you want to get better at it before they get older." Watch the interview below, and if it makes you cringe too hard, remember, it's OK to be a pushover parent every once in a while. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

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