NEW research suggests that while nearly half of UK mums say they’d do whatever it takes to protect their child, for some that means preventing them enjoying traditional childhood activities.

The study found one in five young mums banning their child from climbing trees, and 15 per cent don’t let their child play at the local park.

In addition, 31 per cent of mums check their child’s calls and texts, 12 per cent track their mobiles, and 5 per cent read their child’s diary.

One mother even booked a hotel next to the festival site her child was attending, and 27 per cent of parents admit they’ve followed their child, according to the research for study for Dettol’s Protect Like a Mother campaign.

But experts warn that overprotecting children can actually end up damaging them.

Dr Rachel Andrew, a clinical psychologist who works with children and has just written The Supermum Myth, says: “Anxious parents are sending two big messages to their children.

"Firstly, that the world is a dangerous place and secondly that their child doesn’t have the skills to deal with it.

"Children can become anxious themselves if they believe this, or as they get older they may feel stifled.”

Mother of one Sian Meech is a support worker in learning disabilities, and says that thanks to her training in child development, she is aware of how important it is to let her son, Reuben, who is almost two, take reasonable risks.

“I let him try things for himself as much as possible, so that he can develop the skills and build up his confidence and awareness,” says the 35-year-old from Sholing.

“He does things like go up and down the stairs himself and opens and shuts cupboards. Other people sometimes say ‘but he might shut his fingers in’ and I warn him that that could happen but he needs to learn himself.”

She adds that while she wants to protect him, she is aware that being over protective can itself be harmful.

“You have to let them learn for themselves, otherwise you’re hampering their development,” she adds.

“Yes, if he’s coming down the stairs he could fall, but you may be hampering their development more in the long run than any damage done by slipping on the stairs and having a bump.”

Priya Tew, a dietician and pilates teacher from Bitterne Park, also believes that it’s important to let children take risks.

And as a mother of three, Kezia, seven, Judah, four, and 18-month-old Esther, she has noticed that she has become increasingly relaxed with her children.

“With the youngest, the stair gates came off sooner than with the older ones and whereas the oldest one only had toys that said they were suitable for her age, we have these toys for older children, so she winds up playing with them too.

“I am quite relaxed about risk taking. I have a boy who is a very good climber and who climbed up the loft ladder before he was one! My eldest is the opposite and she will get stuck, so part of it is about knowing your own children.

“As a parent I think you do have to let go. You might not be relaxed about it but you have to allow them to take risks. There are definitely things they do where I think ‘I don’t know if this is a good idea,’ but I let them find out for themselves.

“You also have to think about what you can do. The other day my son wanted to go down a fireman’s pole in a playground, but I wouldn’t have been able to reach him if he’d got into difficulty so I had to say no.

“If we don’t let them take risks, like climbing to the top of the climbing frame, how are they going to know that they can do it? but I have had to climb up numerous times to rescue them!”

Here are some tips to help overprotective parents ease-up:

1. Let your child take appropriate risks

If you let your child take appropriate risks you’ll feel anxious, but modelling ‘coping with worry’ for your child allows them to learn it’s a normal, healthy emotion that can help them achieve things.

“A small risk can seem huge to an anxious parent,” says Andrew.

“They can often think they’re doing their best for their child by controlling their environment and what they do, but in order to develop confidence in their own ability, children need to take some appropriate risk.”

2. Only check mobiles if there’s a serious issue

Only check calls and texts if you think something very serious is going on – that your child or another child is at significant risk of harm. Exhaust every other possibility before checking, as Andrew warns: “Once a confidence is broken in this way it can be very difficult to re-establish trust with your child. Breaking confidence needs to be worthwhile and a last resort.”

3. Ask them to show you texts

If you’re anxious about your child’s calls and texts, work with him/her to solve the issue by asking them to show you texts or chats. Reassure them they won’t be in trouble and they don’t need to be embarrassed.

4. Don’t read their diary

Similarly, don’t read your child’s diary unless you think there’s a possibility of a serious negative issue in their life.

5. Talk rather than follow

Rather than following your child, if you’re concerned about a danger it would be better to talk to them about it and come up with a joint solution – agreed times when you’ll call or text them, putting an app on their phone that they agree might be helpful if you need to find them (like find my iPhone), or agreeing a plan should they become worried about anything.

6. Challenge yourself

List activities with your child that they’d like to do (and that most children can do), and divide them into green (safe), amber (bit risky) and red (very risky). Allow your child to do some activities on the amber list, and when you’re more comfortable, some on the red list. As they’re doing them, find ways to manage your anxiety. Gradually let your child take more risks, and congratulate yourself when you’ve let them.

7. Accept some secrecy

Some secrecy in adolescence is normal, as is a child’s move towards their peer group rather than their parents.

8. Don’t become obsessed with cleanliness

While it’s natural to want to keep things clean immediately after having a baby, this should fade with time. If it doesn’t, parents should force themselves to ease up on the cleaning a bit, otherwise it can become overwhelming and detract from the enjoyment of your baby.

9. Build a strong relationship

A strong relationship with open conversations is key to keeping children safe.