Overprotectiveness hinders children’s independence and success. The book, “The Anxious Generation,” discusses how the coddling of Generation Z children is a leading factor in the mental health crisis among my generation. When children are free to make their own mistakes, they learn.

The recent changes in rates of peanut allergies exemplify this. Peanut allergies do exist and can pose a real threat, but fear that all children will develop a peanut allergy when fed peanuts is excessive and harms children’s independence. From 1997 to 2010, the prevalence of peanut allergies in American children quadrupled, according to an article published in The New England Journal of Medicine. However, a recent NPR article explored how childhood exposure to peanuts reduced peanut allergies. From 2015 to 2017, “‘There was a 43% reduction in peanut allergy prevalence … and a 36% reduction in any food allergy prevalence,’” as the more some children were exposed to peanuts, the less they developed a peanut allergy.

Limiting children’s exposure to peanuts was overprotective; it was unnecessary, as it increased the rates of peanut allergies. This article makes one thing clear: Exposing children to risks, uncoddling them, can help children succeed.

How does this apply to contexts outside of peanut allergies? Decreasing rates of peanut allergies represents that the uncoddling of children, or the reversal of damaging overparenting, yields positive outcomes. This creates hope for a future of self-sufficient and independent children. It’s possible for U.S. organizations and parents to change their ways and allow children to learn by overcoming their fears on their own. This change can have a better impact on children, ranging from allergies to, hopefully, mental health.