Helicopter Parenting – Is It Stunting Kids Growth?

Is “Helicopter Parenting” stunting children’s growth? Parents want to always know that their kids are safe. However, is too much hovering a bad thing? Helicopter parenting may actually be depriving your child of learning how to manage situations on their own.

Parents that hover over their kids and manage what they do and not do may be stunting their growth emotionally.  Researchers did a study of over 400 2-year old’s while they played and cleaned up their rooms during an 8-year period.  They found that the toddlers that were told every day what to play with, how to play, and who to play with were not able to control their emotions and attitudes by the time they turned 5 years old.  By the time they turned 10 they were less likely to achieve good grades or able to have a good attitude at school.  When the children are not allowed to decide for themselves what, who, where and how to play with their toys or games are less likely to be able to handle themselves out in the world.

Helicopter parents attempt to “ensure their children are on a path to success by paving it for them.” The rise of helicopter parenting coincided with two social shifts. The first was the comparatively booming economy of the 1990s, with low unemployment and higher disposable income. The second was the public perception of increased child endangerment, a perception which free-range parenting advocate Lenore Skenazy described as “rooted in paranoia”.

Although parents or proponents of helicopter parenting claim that such a restrictive and imposing parenting style may instill discipline, other analysts have claimed that there is evidence that such forms of parenting results in a higher rate of teenage rebellion. It is recommended that parents let their children be themselves while they are learning the ways of the world.