Celebrating Women...for the Real World
Friday, August 12, 2005 Are You A Helicopter Mom?

Warning: This is strictly my opinion and we all know that opinions are like a** holes…everybody’s got one. So you are warned, some will cheer and some will jeer but it is something to think about.

My God they are everywhere! What is a “Helicopter Mom”? That is the Mom that swoops down to fix any problem their child might have and swoops back out of the picture. What is crazy is the fact that they are running ramped and have high school aged kids. As a parent, we cannot swoop down and rescue them every time there is a crisis. That is what problem solving and reasoning are for. Granted parents are needed for council, direction, and by all means depending on what the situation is, to intervene if your child is in harms way, we do need to “protect our children”.

What I am talking about are the parents who are angry that their child is not a starter on a team, so they move to another neighborhood/school so the child can start. The parent that literally “completes” the project for the child so that it will be “perfect”. The parent who always says “Not my child” when something needs to be addressed whether due to actions or words. There is a difference between being involved and taking over.

My rational is very simple. If you are old enough to be tried as an adult in a court of law; you are old enough to problem solve, and fail, and pick yourself up and learn from your mistakes. As parents it is our job to provide a safe and loving environment so that when they fall, they can overcome it. I’ve always been told that is how you build character; learn integrity, responsibility, and critical thinking. One day we will not be there to “rescue” our children, we have to let them stand on their own two feet.

OK….rant over.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 6:22 AM :: 8 comments

Post / Read Comments

---------------oOo---------------