History Main / AntiSmotherLoveTalk

'''Dory''': Well, you can't never let ''anything'' happen to him, then nothing would ''ever'' happen to him. Not much fun for little [[AccidentalMisnaming Harpo]].

Parents are supposed to look after their kids, and to a certain degree, a [[MamaBear mother]] and/or [[PapaWolf father]] who tries to keep their children from danger is admired. But in some cases, it can really get in the way. It may happen in the case of a KidHero whose parent finds out [[WakeUpGoToSchoolSaveTheWorld what they've been doing]] and reacts [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome exactly the way you'd expect a parent to]] -- with panic and prohibitions against further heroic activity. It may happen in the case of a kid who has always been smothered by a parent who is determined to safeguard their beloved children [[SafetyWorst against any and all dangers]]. Whatever the reason, it's seriously affecting the kid's life.

* In ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'', Hiccup's father Stoick and his right-hand man Gobber are having a discussion about Hiccup's tendency to get into trouble. Gobber suggests Stoick put him through dragon training along with the other teens. When Stoick objects that Hiccup gets into enough trouble without being required to be face-to-face with a dragon, Gobber bluntly reminds him that he can't be Hiccup's only shield against danger.

LetHerGrowUpDear and OverprotectiveDad are related, but they deal with romance rather than personal safety. CallingTheOldManOut is related but usually done by the child themself.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', Jin personally sees no harm in letting Mei go to the concert, but unfortunately his wife is having none of it and he struggles to make himself heard.

* ''Film/{{Wonder Woman|2017}}'': When Hippotyla chastises her sister for training Diana, her sister retorts that they both know it's only a matter of time before Ares returns and Diana has to be ready. Hippotyla then relents (in fact telling her that she can train her ten times as hard as any other Amazon), but tells her that Diana must not know the truth about herself.

[[folder: Live-Action TV]]

* In the ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' episode "Nightmare Hospital", Dr. Maheshwaran has to get this talk from her daughter Connie in order to learn that she's stifling her daughter with rules and safety precautions and, more importantly, that Connie doesn't feel like she can tell her mother anything because she reacts to the slightest perceived threat with sweeping prohibitions. What probably drove it home was realizing that as smothering as she is, she never noticed the lenses in Connie's glasses were gone until Connie outright told her.

LetHerGrowUpDear and OverprotectiveDad are related, but they deal with romance rather than personal safety. CallingTheOldManOut is related, but usually done by the child themself.

[[folder: Live Action TV]]
* A downplayed example in ''Series/Charmed1998'' with Piper's treatment of newborn Chris. She spends the episode worrying about protecting Chris from anything that could harm or upset him- until she ends up possessed by the Hindu goddess Shakti (the Ultimate Mother). Shakti ends telling Piper that she can't protect him from everything and doing so is only going to leave him a neurotic mess. Due to Chris's age she's still protective but tones it down greatly from how she was at the start of the episode.

* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'': If you take your [[StaticRoleExchangeableCharacter sole surviving sibling]] to the Deep Roads expedition, your mother will beg you to leave them at home since she cannot bear to lose both of you. You can then give her the reassurance that everything will be fine and that you are both responsible adults, persuading her to relent. [[spoiler:Naturally, if both of you go to the Deep Roads, your sibling contracts the Taint and dies (or, under very specific circumstances, becomes a Grey Warden -- a Fate Worse Than Death by many standards), so your mother ''was'' right.]]

* In one ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'' episode, Ben's parents find out that their son has been acting as a superhero. They find it so disturbing that they attempt to prevent him from returning to the field of battle, even going so far as to ground him and take away his technology so he can't be involved with the battle even remotely. Ben initially sticks to their rules (albeit with some use of LoopholeAbuse), but when Kevin is in trouble during a battle, he tells his parents that he has to do this -- after all, they taught him to do the right thing. When he gets back, they agree to let him continue with the superheroics, but caution him to please be careful.

* ''Fanfic/ADovahkiinSpreadsHisWings'' enjoys giving these to Ned Stark, who still believes his bastard son Jon would be happier to be back in Westeros and close to his family. At least three people point Jon is actually quite wealthy, powerful, and happy in Skyrim, so it would be better to let him live his way as he pleases.

* ''Film/{{Wonder Woman|2017}}'': When Hippotyla chastises her sister for training Diana, her sister retorts that they both know it's only a matter of time before Ares returns and Diana has to be ready. Hippotyla then relents (in fact telling her that she can train her ten times as hard as any other Amazon), but tells her that Diana must not know the truth about herself.

* Moira of ''VideoGame/DeadInVinland'' delivers one of these to her sister Blodeuwedd, who doesn't want her daughter Kari wandering outside the camp. Moira warns Blodeuwedd that Kari's going to end up hating her; Blodeuwedd retorts that hating her means Kari is still alive, and "as a mom, that's my TOP priority." From a gameplay perspective, Moira's largely right; Kari's generally the best explorer in the party and a deadly FragileSpeedster and GlassCannon in combat.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' episode "Nightmare Hospital", Dr. Maheshwaran has to get this talk from her daughter Connie in order to learn that she's stifling her daughter with rules and safety precautions and, more importantly, that Connie doesn't feel like she can tell her mother anything because she reacts to the slightest perceived threat with sweeping prohibitions. What probably drove it home was what realizing that as smothering as she is, she never noticed the lenses in Connie's glasses were gone until Connie outright told her.

LetHerGrowUpDear and OverprotectiveDad are related, but they deal with romance rather than personal safety.

Parents are supposed to look after their kids, and to a certain degree, a [[MamaBear mother]] and/or [[PapaWolf father]] who tries to keep their children from danger is admired. But in some cases, it can really get in the way. It may happen in the case of a KidHero whose parent finds out [[WakeUpGoToSchoolSaveTheWorld what they've been doing]] and reacts [[RealityEnsues exactly the way you'd expect a parent to]] -- with panic and prohibitions against further heroic activity. It may happen in the case of a kid who has always been smothered by a parent who is determined to safeguard their beloved children [[SafetyWorst against any and all dangers]]. Whatever the reason, it's seriously affecting the kid's life.