Helicopter Parenting

Helicopter Parents

What are helicopter parents? The term ‘helicopter parent’ first appeared in a 1969 book titled ‘Between Parent & Teenager.’ The teen protagonist in the book lamented that his mother watched and hovered over him like a helicopter. In the modern day context, we use the phrase ‘helicopter parent’ to describe parents who constantly expresses interest in their child’s safety and well-being. They are also incredibly protective of their child and know a great deal about the occurences in their child's lives.

Pros of Helicopter Parenting

1. Parents become better friends with their children due to them spending significant time together on bonding. Moreover, parents are always kept informed of the occurrences in their children’s lives without having to be pushy or constantly sticking their noses in the affairs of their children,
2. Children can obtain physical protection and emotional support much more frequently when they require it. With accordance to a University of Texas study, helicopter parents whom are much more involved in their children’s lives produce matured children with higher life satisfaction rates. Another positive consequence is that children whom are constantly being monitored and cared for will be less likely to end up being involved in delinquency, drugs and other vices such as excessive alcohol consumption. Children of helicopter parents are often reliable, and practices positive qualities such as punctuality and responsibility
3. Children are often safe since the parents will almost always access to the knowledge of their locations, whom they are with and what activities they are supposed to be doing at that specific timing.
4. Helicopter parents often invest heavily in their children’s future. As society grows more competitive with every passing day, helicopter parents actively seek to compress any extra-curricular classes into their children’s schedule as they can. Thus, while the children may have minimal rest and playtime, they might be acquiring useful and legitimate skills such as coding, phonics and mathematics et cetera that will grant them a competitive edge over their peers in the future.

Cons of Helicopter Parenting

1. Kids may become highly dependent on their parents. Without the presence of their parents, they are unable to make decisions decisively as they often rely on their parents for approval. Moreover, helicopter parents may often help shelter their kids such as getting a maid to help the kid do laundry, cook and perform other household chores. Thus, when the kids mature, they do not understand how to carry out these tasks or their importance. It is crucial that parents help kids learn how to survive on their own at a young age so that they will be able to progress into adolescence or adulthood smoothly.
2. Helicopter parenting can deny children of problem-solving skills. Helicopter parents often prevent their children from making mistakes by constantly intervening and guiding them. In doing so, they are deprived of problem-solving skills and critical thinking qualities.
3. Children whom are accustomed to their parents’ care and concern may mature into entitled individuals that take for granted people whom treat them well. They assume that others who are treating them well are like their own parents and will help them whenever they require help. This is often not the case however, and they will often be rudely awakened from this fantasy when their teachers or other students refuse to be commanded like their parents.
4. Children may be deterred from pursuing their own hopes and dreams. Often helicopter parents will force their children into learning a course or skill that they deem prospective in the future. For instance, helicopter parents may force their son into learning the piano when all he actually wants to do is to focus on sports. Thus, in the future, although the child may now be a successful piano teacher, he may not actually like what he does. Worse still, if he wants to change his job, he will have to start from scratch. In doing so, the child will have to choose between living up to his parents’ dreams and ambitions for him or to pursue his own.
5. The helicopter parenting method can worsen the relationship between parent and child. The constant interventions and prying into the child’s life may cause the child to resent their parents’ attention. Eventually they will stop listening to their parents and even start rebelling.

In conclusion, it seems that helicopter parenting is not all bad. However, it would be beneficial for helicopter parents to hover less so that they are allowing their children the freedom to experiment with making mistakes and learn on their own as well.