My family moved from the US to Barcelona. I had to learn how to go from being a helicopter parent to giving my child independence.

That changed six years ago when my family moved to Barcelona. During our first spring here, we attended a Catalan calotada, a community gathering where you barbecue green onions.

My son’s friends were climbing a tree. Naturally, my then-5-year-old joined in. Once he reached the top, the local parents started clapping. But they weren’t clapping for my kid. They were clapping for me. For once, I hadn’t intervened. I let my kid be a kid.

https://africa.businessinsider.com/news/my-family-moved-from-the-us-to-barcelona-i-had-to-learn-how-to-go-from-being-a/1qz51hk