The Pros And Cons Of Helicopter Parenting

What is a helicopter parent? Kayla Reed, a doctoral candidate in Marriage and Family Therapy, states that “Helicopter parents are those who are overly involved, they mean everything with good intentions, but it often goes beyond supportive to intervening in the decisions of emerging adults” (“Hovering can Hinder Transition to Adulthood” 11-12). Hovering parents act the way they do because they want their child to prosper in the real-world, but they are actually hurting them (Stahl). Helicopter parenting affects a child’s development and eventually affects them going into their adult life. Helicopter parenting can hinder a child’s development into adulthood, cause children to act rebellious, and prevent the child from being independent and having

Kids become unhappy with their hovering parents. Their unhappiness causes them to make bad decisions. Bad decisions, such as suicide, can be a result of a helicopter parent (Thernstrom). Kids become so unhappy with their parents being constantly around them. They begin to feel like the only way out is through self-harm and suicide. Suicide is not the only bad decision that is caused by hovering parents. Binge drinking can be caused by hovering parents. Helicopter parents push their kids too hard, this makes the kids want to unwind and drink (Flanagan 24-27). Hovering parents keep their kids close to them and monitor everything they do. Some parents keep this close eye on their children so they do not go out into the untamed world (Flanagan 24-27). Some parents do not realize this but it actually hurts a child more than helps them when they are kept sheltered from the real world. Children of helicopter parents do not know what the real world is like and they do not know their limits (Flanagan 24-27). Decisions often go to the extreme and are out of hand when kids become face-to-face with the real world. Children of hovering parents often succumb to peer pressure when thrown into real world situations for the first time (Thernstrom). They do not know how to handle the pressured situations and often make the wrong decisions. Flanagan states that naive, hovering parents believe that they have raised their kids to make all the right decisions. Once they are in college, kids will drink and will be put into pressured situations that to which they will succumb to (24-27). Kids will grow up and be able to make their own decisions without their parents being there, holding their hand every step of the way. Some parents know that their kids drink. When they know, they do everything to keep their kids safe (Flanagan 24-27). These parents can provide their child with a safe ride home at the end