Yet Australian education experts say time-poor parents can't help themselves, as their children grow up in an era of NAPLAN-fuelled academic competitiveness.

A five-year study of primary school children by the National University of Singapore found that children with intrusive parents became increasingly self-critical as they got older and showed greater symptoms of anxiety and depression.

The researchers asked seven-year-olds to solve as many puzzles as they could in a 10-minute period. Parents were told they could help their child whenever necessary. Researchers classified how intrusive parents were based on how much they tried to assist their child. The students' emotional and cognitive development was tracked until they were 11.

The study found having an intrusive parent was a strong predictor of a child growing up to be overly critical of themselves. Parents from low socio-economic families tended to interfere more, especially with daughters and children with poorer academic ability.

Study leader Ryan Hong said controlling parents often deprived children of the opportunity to learn and make mistakes in a non-threatening environment. "Parents should allow some space for their children to try on their own and make mistakes along the way," he said. "Making mistakes is an essential learning process."

Australian education experts agreed that helicopter parenting can result in more anxious children with lower self-esteem, yet they regularly observe parents interfering with schoolwork.

Australian Primary Principals Association president Dennis Yarrington said increased academic competition, spurred by NAPLAN, was behind this phenomenon. "There is this trend about competition, being better than the other kids, because we see getting it right is better than being challenged or taking a risk," Mr Yarrington said.

Some principals complain there is an "epidemic" of parents doing their children's assignments. Mr Yarrington said time-poor parents find it easier to take over their child's homework than sit by while the child attempts to figure it out themselves.

Clinical psychologist Judith Locke, author of The Bonsai Child, said she knew of one parent who would volunteer in their primary schooler's class, then tell the child at the end of the day where they went wrong in class. Dr Locke said another parent would turn up at school each week wanting to look at the work their child had done in class to make sure it was up to scratch.

"It is so bad for the children's confidence, resilience, resourcefulness and self-regulation," Dr Locke said. "When parents step in too much they change the outcome, and the child doesn't face the consequences of a bad result and learn how to cope."

Dr Locke said parents had to be more resilient themselves to their child making mistakes. "The less resilient parents are, the more likely they are to step in to stop the child experiencing the challenge of sitting for a while not knowing the answer. They can't cope with the moment where they're unsure of the outcome."

Mr Yarrington said parents should take an interest in their child's learning, but refrain from doing their work for them. "If you over-help you're going to hinder their ability to solve problems or overcome obstacles later in life," he said. "If kids don't develop independent work skills they'll just give up and go somewhere else when it gets hard."

HOW TO GET IT RIGHT

Homework

DO sit back and let them try to work it out themselves

DON'T rush in to help at the first sign of your child struggling

Exam time

DO keep your child doing sport and chores

DON'T let study take precedence over everything else

Report card

DO ask them what they think of their report card, what they're pleased with and where they think they could improve

DON'T tell your child what results you like and don't like

Academic expectations

DO accept your child for who they are, their strengths and weaknesses

DON'T always think your child can do better