Most of us are familiar with the concept of the 'helicopter parent' who hovers¹ anxiously over their child's every move. But now a new parenting type has been identified - and experts say 'snowplough parents', who clear every obstacle from their child's path while piling on the pressure to achieve, can be every bit as damaging.

 

我们大部分人对“直升机父母”这个概念已经比较熟悉了，这一类父母时刻都在关注孩子的一举一动。现在又出现了新的一类父母——扫雪机父母，他们会扫清孩子成功路上的所有障碍，但同时也因此给孩子造成很多压力，专家认为这种教育方式让孩子受害不浅。

 

Snowplough parenting is becoming increasingly common in the UK as well as the US with nearly a quarter of teenagers supplied with tutors by their parents in a bid to boost their grades. They let nothing stand in the way of their children’s success, even though they may be robbing them of the opportunity to build resilience. Children are becoming 'terrified of failure' and being turned into 'achievement machines' by their parents.

 

扫雪机父母在英国和美国日渐增多，约有四分之一的青少年都有父母请的家教帮他们提高学习成绩。他们绝不让任何事成为孩子成功路上的障碍，虽然他们这样做可能让孩子失去了锻炼自己适应能力的机会。孩子们因此变得“惧怕失败”，被家长逼成了“追求成功的机器”。

 

After school classes, intensive music lessons and an emphasis on besting the competition in team sports are all favorites of the snowplough parent, who also, on occasion, take charge of their children's homework.

 

学校放学以后，密集的音乐课程和团体运动中的能力加强练习都是扫雪机父母们中意的项目，偶尔他们还会帮孩子做作业。

 

As a result of increasing parental² pressure, one in 10 university students suffers from mental health problems while others find themselves unable to cope without help from Mum and Dad and an army of private tutors.

 

由于父母带来的压力，每十个大学生中就有一个心理上有问题，而其他孩子则面临没有父母和家教大军的帮助就无法完成任务的窘境。