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Are you a helicopter parent?

The reference to “helicopter parents” has resurfaced in the news lately.  For those of you unfamiliar with it, the term describes parents who unnecessarily hover over their high school and college-age children. These “hovering crafts” create significant noise and gusting wind whenever their kids face the slightest challenge.  They swoop in to handle situations for their teens instead of helping them learn to fly solo.

According to research aired on the Today Show, 60-70% of all parents of college students are involved in “helicopter parenting” in some way.  While both moms and dads tend to hover, 60% of helicopter parenting is done by MOMS and it’s mainly directed at SONS.
Moms and dads of the baby boomer generation (born 1946-1964) are beginning to realize that too much hovering is really smothering! Of course, parents need to stay involved and participate in their teens’ life, but without taking over.  This month, we’ll be discussing how you can tell whether you’re doing more harm than good. We’ll take a look at when is being a devoted parent too much.

In my work with parents and teens, I find both over-and under-involvement disturbing.  Either extreme, a high wind that forcefully whisks your kids around, or a non-existent wind, is unlikely to yield positive long-term results.

Come back next week to get specific examples of what constitutes doing “too much” for your children. Until then …
Barbara