11 Signs That You Are An Over-the-Top Parent
Being a parent can be a life-changing experience. You can be in charge of your schedule, home, and sleep one minute, but the next, you are at the mercy of small humans’ bowel movements and sleeping patterns.
You’re likely already in the trenches if you’re reading. You may have noticed some… odd habits. You may have found yourself rearranging your dishwasher after you helped your child load it. You might have even considered asking everyone to leave the house for five minutes before your guests arrive so that everything will remain clean.
Welcome to the world of Over the Top (OTT) parents. You’re not controlling in the traditional sense. You have vision, and that vision does not include toys scattered on the floor or mismatched clothes pegs.
This post will explore the 11 unmistakable signs that you have become an OTT parent. We’ll explain why this is perfectly normal and how you are not alone.
1. You Assign Chores… then Redo Them Right Away
Let’s begin with the classic: Kids and chores. To build responsibility, parenting websites and child-development experts suggest that you assign age-appropriate tasks. It’s great on paper, but not when your child tries to “help” you by loading the dishwasher.
What was supposed to be a 5-minute task becomes a 30-minute lesson in how to place dishes. Forks facing upwards? Randomly stacked bowls? Cups on the bottom shelf?
You’re not on my watch.
You wait. As soon as the helpers leave, you smile and thank them. Then, as soon as the dishwasher is empty, you pack the whole thing. The plates must face the middle. Everyone knows this.
SEO tip: Search engines love practical tips, so let’s include: Tips for teaching children how to do chores without losing your mind in a future article.
2. If You Clean the House, Then Demand that Everyone Sit Neatly (or not at all)
There are few things more satisfying than having a perfectly clean house. The vacuum lines in the rug. The air is filled with the scent of lemon-fresh surface spray. The cushions are exactly as.
After your three-hour marathon cleaning, you ask a simple question: Can everyone sit… neatly?
Your kids are squished onto the couch, like ragdolls. They have their feet up on the wall, one sock is missing, and there’s a strange smear of blood on their shirt. The scene changes instantly from Scandinavian Chic into Post-apocalyptic Daycare.
You breathe out. You straighten out the throw. You fluff up the pillows. You wonder if it’s too much to expect a clean living room in just one hour.
3. You Clean for Guests, then Secretly Wish Our Family Would Leave Until They’re Gone
You have spent all day cleaning. Toys have been hidden. Surfaces sparkle. The hand towel for the guest is folded in the shape of a swan. What’s the only problem? The actual people living in your home.
Your guests are arriving in 10 minutes. While your partner is strewn crumbs on the floor, your children have decided that it’s time to start an all-out water fight in your kitchen.
Is it inappropriate to suggest that they all stay in a hotel the night?
Let’s be honest: The house looks great when there’s no one in it. It resembles a show home for a short, shining moment. In that moment, you will finally appreciate the appeal of minimalist design.
4. When Hanging Laundry, Match the Colours of the Pegs and Clothes
You’re not the only one with this odd habit. It is a legitimate coping strategy to match the color of the pegs with the clothes that they are holding.
It brings order. It brings peace. It gives you five uninterrupted outside minutes when no one is calling your name or asking for snacks.
Self-care = matching pegs. Fight us.
5. You Iron Underwear (Or you know someone who does)
Ironing can be controversial. Ironing is a controversial topic. Some parents don’t even own an iron. Others find comfort in starch and steam.
It’s not just OTT to have your child or friend wear ironed underwear. This is perfectionist territory.
You’re not like the rest of us who are barely folding our laundry and putting it in drawers. Instead, you make sure that all briefs have no creases. You know what else? Respect.
6. You Have Drawn a Cushion Diagram for Your Partner
It’s not just about pulling the covers up. It is a multi-layered operation, with decorative pillows and accent throws.
What happens when you go away for the weekend and your partner is left to make the bed?
Chaos.
You do what every OTT parent does: you draw a diagram showing how the cushions are to be arranged. For maximum impact, cushions should be layered, fluffed, and standing, not lying flat.
There is no such thing as too many cushions. We don’t set the rules.
7. Do Not Let Your Children Make Pancakes Until They Offer to Make One For You
It’s a wonderful way to bond with your children… unless you want to enjoy the food.
Allowing your children to make pancakes themselves? Fine.
You are going to let them make pancakes? Hard pass.
The batter is lumpy. The pan is too warm. The butter is burning. You smile politely, then take control quietly. Your standards are far above eating a grey flapjack with a raw middle.
8. When You Cook “with” Kids, They Can Watch From a Safe Distance
In theory, you want your children to be involved in the kitchen. But what about in reality?
It would be better if they handled something simple, like greasing a cake tin. Preferably quietly. Clean hands.
You’ll be doing damage control and sanitizing surfaces for an hour if you don’t.
9. You Can Arrange Books By Colour and Height
The purpose of children’s books is to be read, enjoyed, and used. You can’t resist your inner OTT parent, and you find yourself arranging them on the shelves by color and height.
#ShelfGoals #ShelfGoals
10. When You Ask Your Kids to Tidy Up Their Room, They End Up Redesigning the Entire Space
The plan is to ask the children to clean up their rooms.
The reality: you spend three hours sorting LEGO blocks by color and size, and searching for “modular storage solutions for small bedrooms.”
You’ll be in IKEA by the end of the week, debating whether the KALLAX system is better than the TROFAST.
Indeed, you didn’t intend to remodel their entire space, but those bins under the bed are going to change people’s lives.
11. Barking Commands to Your Children as They Set the Table
You’re trying to delegate. You ask, “Would you set the table for me?”
Five seconds later, you are following them around and shouting:
- “Forks to the left!”
- “Blades inwards!”
- No, that is not the glass!
What began as a teaching moment has become a borderline drill in table manners.
You can fix the problem yourself. At least you tried.
What if you’re an OTT parent?
You’re an OTT parent if you nod to the majority of these signs. Guess what?
It’s a good thing.
You are passionate about your family and home. The small details make your life easier (and more Instagram-worthy).
Parenting can be chaotic, unpredictable, and overwhelming. Focusing on “the little things”, even if to others they may seem silly, can help us cope.
You’re doing a great job, whether you’re fluffing pillows, coloring LEGO sets, or ironing one-pieces.
You’re not alone.
Conclusion
It’s not about being perfect, but about gaining control of a world which can feel chaotic. It’s an easy way to turn chaos into structure, creativity, and sometimes, serenity.
Repack your dishwasher. Hang your clothes on pegs that match. Fluff your pillows.
You’re showing your love in a unique and slightly obsessive way.
