Helicopter Parenting and the Impacts on Children

Whether we were the product of them or our friends went through it, helicopter parenting was all around us. Helicopter parenting is a phrase that usually refers to parents that are incredibly over protective of their children. This can manifest in numerous ways and can stay with children for years on end. The number of helicopter parents has seemed to increase in the recent years, this stereotype of incredible observation and overbearing parents is one that some children are all too familiar with. Although parents want the best for their children they also want to make sure their children are always safe; they want to make sure their kids have the best possible life with the fewest amount of troubles. 

With these overprotective parents comes children who feel as though they can never make a mistake and when they do, they don’t want to anger or upset their parents. This leads to children hiding things from their parents, as they don’t want to expose themselves and do not want their parents to feel afraid for them. Parents are now in the age where the internet can track everyone; they can now look at their kids GPS on their cellphones and can keep an eye on them wherever they are. By doing this, parents can make sure their kids are not lying about their location and it keeps them honest. On the other hand, this ‘eye in the sky’ can make children feel as though their freedom is being restricted, although they may have had no intention of being sneaky or putting themselves in danger- it feels as though they cannot live their natural lives. 

These overprotective parents can also make children feel as though their futures will be easier than they suspected; it makes them increasingly reliant on their parents while ruining their chance of being self reliant. This can also create abandonment and anxiety issues when they grow up, since many kids didn't have to go through certain scenarios and are thus ill-prepared for when they show up in their day to day lives. Children can also have less stable emotional states as a result of these helicopter parents. 

It’s a difficult situation to be placed in, as parents want to ensure a better future for their children but do not want to stunt them emotionally later on in life. For many people it’s trying to find a desirable middle between the two extremes to ensure the best outcome for their children. Parents do not want their children to go through troubling events in their lives and want to make sure that they don't deal with major traumas when these situations can lead to very extreme and troubling ailments later in life. By finding a way to give children structure and compassion while also making sure they have room to be exposed to real world situations can be the most beneficial for children in the long run.

References:

https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2018/06/helicopter-parenting

https://childmind.org/article/whats-wrong-with-helicopter-parenting/