The Pros And Cons Of Helicopter Parenting

Once someone becomes a parent, the sole responsibility of life becomes giving their children the best they can give them. While this idea has held true throughout history, it’s beginning to be taken too seriously by some parents, who are overly involved in a child’s development. In today’s society, many children cannot live independently from their parents because they’ve been accustomed to living with their mother and father hovering over all aspects of life. These “helicopter parents” exist and they’re significantly deteriorating the development of their children. With a lack of independence throughout childhood, children of these “helicopter parents” struggle to find an independent life for themselves, often leading to psychological problems. In addition to the physical problems children of over involved parents face, helicopter parents can also be blamed for the negative connotations associated with the millennial generation altogether. Helicopter parenting is nothing new, however it is becoming an epidemic. The word “helicopter parent” was first introduced in a 1969 book published by Dr. Haim Ginott, and was introduced in the dictionary by 2011 (Bayless). Carolyn Daitch defines helicopter parenting as, “A style of parents who are over focused on their children” (Bayless). The problem of
In a 2013 survey of collegiate counseling directors, roughly 95% of counselors reported concern on their respective campuses about students with psychological problems (“College-Age Depression”). Lythcott-Haims goes on to source an additional 2013 study, a survey administered by the American College Health Association. The ACHA polled nearly 100,000 college students from over 150 different colleges about their health, the results they found about health experiences over the past year are