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An essay on the effects of helicopter parenting
An essay on the effects of helicopter parenting
An essay on the effects of helicopter parenting
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In recent years, excessively-involved parents have been negatively portrayed in social and popular media. Seen as crazy, over-bearing, and intrusive, these parents have been given the name “helicopter parents.” Defined as a parenting style in which a mother and/or father has become over-involved in the life of their child or children, helicopter parenting has been said to in many cases, interfere with the success of students at the post-secondary age. Despite a parent’s best intentions to care for and love their child, helicopter parenting can be detrimental to a student’s ability to be mentally well, confident, and successful when left to their own devices. Especially evident at the post-secondary level of schooling, being reared by over-protective …show more content…
However, it can continue even through to students in graduate school and beyond. According to Hara Estroff Marano, author of “A Nation of Wimps,” the extensive involvement of parents does not end as a child leaves home, and has the most adverse effects at the post-secondary to graduate school level. Parents being involved in their son or daughter’s post-secondary school choices is nothing new, and is the norm. Serious issues occur when parental involvement intensifies and they constantly encroach on the emotional, intellectual, and in some cases, even the physical areas of their children’s lives. Consistent infringement by helicopter parents on their child’s life could seriously interfere with some of the goals of higher education. These include helping young adults develop self-sufficiency, confidence, and self …show more content…
Most students with helicopter parents, when questioned about getting a negative review from an employer, proved to be a lot less likely to take the criticism in an adaptive way and improve their work ethic. The more popular answer were that they would either completely give up and quite their job, argue that their boss was wrong, or even ask a parent to call their superior to dispute. Although having confidence in oneself is said to be an extremely valuable and important trait to have, sometimes it can go too far, and lead to someone becoming narcissistic. The author of Generation Me, Jean Twenge, has been examining recent increases in entitlement and narcissism in post-secondary aged students. She speaks about participation trophies, and their cultural message that says success in today’s society only requires you to show up. The idea of the participation trophy or medal was introduced in the late 1980’s. Ashley Merryman described them in her New York Times piece “Losing Is Good For You,” as excessively-involved parents’ way of reassuring children everywhere that they were all winners, all the time. This may be seen as a positive thing; however, Twenge explains that those who have been raised in a household where they have been given endless awards for doing only the bare minimum for work
Helicopter parenting is often referred to as over parenting or bulldozing parenting, which means parents “who pay extremely close attention to a child's or children's experiences and problems, particularly at educational institutions” (“Helicopter Parenting”). These parents are included in all aspects of their children's lives and have a difficult time stepping back to let them be independent. Teenagers and college students who have these types of parents have been seen to have low self-confidence and difficulty adjusting to college. Studies have shown that young adults who’ve had parents take care of their problems and complete all their daily tasks have more negative effects than positive. Parents have to learn that it is okay to let their
In the article “Helicopter Parents Now Hover at the Office,” The Wall Street Journal columnist Sue Shellenbarger reveals that some parents have begun to involve themselves into their adult children’s job search. Shellenbarger explains that many parent have a hard time watching their child struggle since they have taken part in their daily lives for so long. She then describes that some children do not appreciate the hovering of their parents because the hovering prevents them from developing self independence.
Cutright, Marc. "From Helicopter Parent to Valued Partner: Shaping the Parental Relationship for Student Success." New Directions for Higher Education Winter 2008: 39-48. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
Julie Lythcott-Haims’ article from Slate.com, “Kids of Helicopter Parents Are Sputtering Out,” is a recent article published on July 5 2015. Lythcott-Haims discusses the issues of mental health involving college students. Specifically, she is discussing the possible correlation of strict parental guidance—Helicopter or hovering parents--possibly affecting student’s life skills once they are on their own.
Some argue that participation trophies are going to be the downfall of society and human life in general. That is not the case but, there are many downsides of these awards, in this essay a few of these will be brought to attention. Participation trophies do not teach children valuable lessons.
According to Carolyn Daitch, Ph.D., director of the Center for the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders Helicopter parents refers to "a style of parents who are over focused on their children". She also added "They typically take too much responsibility for their children's experiences and, specifically, their successes or failures"(n.d). Helicopter parents is all about ‘hovering’ over their children in an effort to become involved in their life that involves over controlling and overprotecting. This is a control in order to protect their children from harm and disappointment in today’s society. These parents also find it hard to let go, won’t allow children to make their own mistakes in life and also placed their own identity
Helicopter parenting is a phenomenon that has taken the United States by storm! This style of parenting raises children to be dependent on their parents well into their mature years. Julia Lynthcott- Haims explains the four main factors that are responsible for this shift in parenting and childhood in the excerpt “The Four Cultural Shifts that Led to the Rise of the Helicopter Parent” in her book How to Raise an Adult. The “shifts” Haims proposes are juxtaposed with examples of how parenting has evolved to convey how the childrearing has transformed. The author attributes the helicopter phenomenon to four events that began in 1980s: child abductions becoming publicized, the idea that children were not doing enough schoolwork,
Throughout the history of mankind, one thing has separated us humans from animals, which is parenting. In today’s world, you will not find any other animal that will take care of it’s offspring for 18 plus years, well except for bonobo monkeys. Now it is normal for parents to keep their kids from childbirth till the end of their education. However this brings up the question on where to draw the line, and what is the right way to raise a kid. There is one type of parenting that goes beyond the call of duty and it is called helicopter parenting. A brief description of helicopter parenting is basically a parent who is over protective and pays extreme close attention to their child’s life. Although helicopter parenting has some positive results, the repercussions of this parenting style can be harmful to the welfare of child’s development.
Intrusive parenting is a new scenario that has just recently caught the attention of the public eye. Barbara Howard, author of “Landing Helicopter Parents,” refers to these specific types of parents as “helicopter parents” because they are in constant fear that something bad might happen to their child and are willing to do anything to raise a successful young adult (8). It’s because of this fear, that they tend to “hover” close to their child (8). Other terms
One of the main things that parents want for their children is confidence. On one side of this controversy, there are the Helicopter Parents who believe that confidence comes when their child is protected from failure. On the other side are the Free Rangers or parents with a more relaxed approach (Rutherford 407). Free Rangers believe that the best way to foster confidence is through learning how to deal with failure. There is no doubt that most parents want their kids to be safe. It is apparent that the earth isn’t always a safe place to be. However, helicopter parents feel that they need to protect their children more than Free Rangers do. Even if that means doing whatever it takes to makes sure that nothing bad will happen to their kids. It's good to be involved in a child’s life, but where do you draw the line between involved and micromanaging? In most situations, helicoptering means being involved, but not conveniently. However, there are certain cases where these actions may be justified. For instance, a child could be attending a school that is a bad environment with bad influences (Howard). If this were the case hovering would probably be the smartest thing to because a child is being saved from actual potential dangers. To helicopter as a parent can be extremely disruptive but it is done out of
A child could be in distress from an argument or maybe a problem in school and that is when parents involve themselves and help. Others may argue that helicopter parents (overly-involved parents) hinder their child's independence, since they intrude into the child's duties and life. "Many young adults entering college have the academic skills they need to succeed but are lacking in life skills (...)" said Linda Walter, an administrator at Seton Hall University. However, as stated in "The Myth of the Helicopter Parent," "Parents provided the most support in the areas that included listening, emotional help, and advice; and less in the areas of practical, financial, and socializing." This shows that overly involved parents are not taking care of their children's duties but are instead supporting them, so they are not hindering their
Helicopter parenting is the term used to describe parents who are overly involved in their child’s lives/decisions, to the point it becomes a detriment for the child. Helicopter parenting can facilitate a child’s over dependence on the parenting system (van Ingen, 2015). Severe cases of helicopter parenting stunts a student’s ability to learn and grow independently. Helicopter parents indirectly communicate to their children, that they are unable to handle their own life. This can cause students to be fearful of making choices on their own, without first receive feedback from their parental figure. Helicopter parenting can also have far-reaching and lasting effects on a child’s psyche,
In this day and age, the media labels overbearing parents as helicopter parents, and the label itself has taken on a negative light due to the guilt by association. The ‘popular’ definition of helicopter parenting come from the ‘extreme’ cases (Jayson 5). The extreme cases in the news are just that, extreme cases; they do not depict helicopter parenting in general, and have been given the name Blackhawks (“Liftoff for ‘Helicopter’ Parents”). The idea of helicoptering has become a misguided ‘negative portrait’ by media using the term and ‘over parenting synonymously’, but the two terms should be used so. They are very different; over parenting is when a parent does not let the child think for themselves (Aucoin). Over parenting and helicopter parenting are not synonyms, but they are not quite antonyms. Helicoptering can become oppressive parents quite easily. Another side of over parenting is the side that ‘expects… immediate compliance’ to orders without giving reasoning. This style can cause below average ‘self-esteem… self-reliance and… social skills’ (McDevitt and Ormrod). The regular helicopter parenting is more common than what would be assumed as a study shows ‘60 to 70 percent’ of college parents have ‘some helicoptering behavior...
Over the years we began to see a correlation between over parenting and a child’s future success. Helicopter parents are negatively impacting the future growth and success of their children. Helicopter parenting took over the parental world by storm. Parents became fixed on providing a better childhood, than they had. Lythcott-Haims states that many parents’ concerns revolve on not being involved enough in their child’s life and education, but shifting to the opposite spectrum can produce just as much damage.
Most parents take an interest in their child’s life from birth until they become an adult by picking and choosing what is best for them as much as they possibly can. Parents want to help their children to be as perfect as they can make them. Typically hovering parents spend a lot of money, time, and effort filling schedules things like with dance classes, baseball, and tutoring in order to have a ‘perfect’ child. As well as coming to their aid when they are in need, or their defense when they are in trouble. Help in making important, life changing decisions, like where to go to college at, or which career to pursue. When does helping become hovering? The generation of “Helicopter Parents” is becoming more and more prevalent in families. A helicopter parent is a guardian who is hanging over the head of their college-age son or daughter. Helicopter parents typically do whatever necessary to lead their child to success. This controversy has many suggesting it is actually making a positive impact in the next generation, some think not. I question if the next generation of young people will be able to think for themselves? If so, will the decisions they must make in life be adult decisions? Hovering parents are hurting society more than helping it because the next generation is not learning how to be responsible for their actions and make their own choices.