Giving children too much freedom often does more harm than good.
Usage notes: usually said about things that are intended to be helpful but do not have a good result
do more harm than good
To exacerbate the problem, rather than making it better, often in the process of trying to help. I'm worried that I did more harm than good by applying that tourniquet by myself. I should have just waited for the paramedics to get here.Doug means well, but he usually does more harm than good when he tries to help with the sorting.