underparent

English

Etymology

under- +‎ parent

Verb

underparent (third-person singular simple present underparents, present participle underparenting, simple past and past participle underparented)

1. To provide one's child with insufficient attention and nurturing.
   • 2007, Michael Gurian, Nurture the Nature, page 111:

     Do I underparent my child because I am not around enough to give the child what he or she needs?

   • 2013, Steve Gilliland, Hide Your Goat: Strategies to Stay Positive When Negativity Surrounds You, page 70:

     I am now convince it is more harmful to overparent than to underparent.

   • 2016, Shakta Khalsa, The Yoga Way to Radiance:

     Both restrictive and indulgent parents can either underparent or overparent.

Noun

underparent (plural underparents)

1. One who has a subordinate position to the main parent but who takes on some parental responsibilities.
   • 1978, William Reynolds, The American father, page 210:

     If Father is the typical male underparent, as he generally is, it is not that he is a failure, except by overparent standards.

Anagrams

• unpartnered