My mother tells this story:
When I am around two years old, we go camping. In about 1963. My parents set up the tent. I am wandering around the field in Tennessee. I come back to my mother.
"Pot." I say.
My mother says, "You can go anywhere."
I pull on my mother's shirt. "Pot."
My mother points at the field. "You can go anywhere."
I wander into the field and pull down pants and go. I get back up. I look around. "Pot." I say and put out my arms. "Big pot!"
This article on "mollycoddling" children, reminds me of my mother's stories. I think there is a different problem: I think parents try to appear perfect to their children and every child realizes parents are liars.