The secret to great parenting could be as simple as letting your kid get a skinned knee. Experts say that a lot of parents today are trying to be “perfect," and are obsessed with making sure their child is super happy every second of the day. That seems like a good thing, but a growing number of therapists warn that can backfire, and harm your kids for life. 

Therapist Dr. Lori Gottlieb is the author of the new book, “How to Land Your Kid In Therapy," and she says protecting your kids from unhappiness means they’ll grow up expecting to have everything go their way all the time. Then when they grow into adults, they won’t be able to handle disappointment. That raises their risk of everything from developing depression to committing suicide. 

But parents, that doesn’t mean you need to turn into Cruella De Vil. Instead, when something negative happens, like they don’t get a part in the school play, don’t rush to call the drama teacher and demand a part be created for them. Instead, let them experience pain.

And suggest they improve their talent by taking acting lessons. That way, Dr. Gottleib says they’ll become resilient early on, and as adults, they’ll have the skill set to bounce back from disappointments.