Posted on July 14, 2009 in Latest News
Do you pay extreme attention to your child’s problems and experiences? Do you rush and try to rescue every time your child is in trouble? Do you try to take major decisions in your child’s life? If your answer is yes, you might be a helicopter parent. A helicopter parent is a word which describes parents who hover over their children, rescuing them and making decisions in their lives in spite of the child not liking it.
Helicopter parenting is commonly seen in the education of the child. Speaking to the teacher every time the child gets low grades, or confronting the teacher for unfair treatment etc. are some examples of helicopter parenting.
Is Helicopter Parenting Good?
Helicopter parents are good to a certain extent because when they pay attention to their kids’ education and other aspects, kids tend work harder and get good grades. But, lack of proper balance and extreme attention can affect the child’s decision making skills and problem solving ability.
Problems With Helicopter Parenting:
Helicopter parents who solve their kids’ problems, rescue them and pay close attention to them may affect their kids in the following way:
- The decision-making skills of the child would be affected
- The child would not learn from the mistakes he/she committed
- The child can dependent on the parent to solve problems
- The child may not learn to be responsible
- The child may not mingle with his/her peers
Helicopter parenting can also breakdown communication between the parent and the child. The child can get irritated due to extreme attention or may hide things from the parent. When encountered with a problem at school, parents can blame others instead of speaking with the child regarding the problem –resulting in breakdown of communication.
To avoid problems due to helicopter parenting, parents can:
- Speak to the child first when he/she has any problem, instead of hurrying up to rescue the child
- Place personal responsibility on the child when any task is given
- Listen to other adults and kids in the school before reaching any conclusion
Comments
Leave a Reply
