Excessive Needs for Control  Although actual parental control of
the child is an illusion, some strong-willed parents insist on
believing that control of their child actually exists. To prove
this illusion true, they will often go to excessive lengths to
prevent what they don’t want or to get what they do want. A
common example is the fear-prone parent who wants to protect the
child from possible harm by reducing exposure to potential risk.
Driven by fear, this parent is in danger of becoming
overprotective and inclined to excessive control. The best kind
of control is being in control of motivating your child to do
what is best for him in the long run. This is the ultimate of
being in charge.  The Fear-Prone Parent  Growth requires trying
oneself out in ways one has not tried before, and trial and
error learning always offers potential harm. The toddler can’t
learn to walk without risking falling down, the eight-year-old
can’t learn to cook without risking getting burned, the
thirteen-year-old can’t have a p