There's a notion that while helicopter parenting makes children academically successful, it can also make kids ill-equipped for the struggles and challenges of adulthood. Too much parental supervision and protection leaves little room for children to learn and grow from their mistakes thus, they're likely unable to cope with life's hardship in their adult years.
But a new book entitled "Parenting to a Degree," which has been written by sociologist Laura Hamilton, puts focus on helicopter parenting disadvantages on the parents. It underscores how helicopter parents, who give their children all the support they think would be warranted, could end up being drained — financially, emotionally and psychologically.
In a 2013 study conducted by the Pew Research Center, researchers learned that at least 48 percent of parents still provide their grown children financial support. Hamilton cites how such a scenario could be undermining as financial support is also directly connected to emotional support.
The children relying on their parents for money even in adulthood can become less financially secure and could still see their parents as their emotional anchor. The helicopter parents who coddle their children as adults do not just end up drained of their financial resources, they could also become emotionally and psychologically exhausted.
Helicopter parenting, or being too involved on the lives and activities of the children, can also be bad for the health, especially for parents of angsty teenagers. As the adolescent years might be riddled with anxiety and drama, parents who "care too much" could end up forgetting about caring for themselves. "Some parents can over-identify with their children and invest too much -- the child benefits from the attention and empathy but the parents themselves get stressed to their own detriment," family therapist Miriam Chachamu said, as per Telegraph.
Helicopter parents mostly mean well but some fail to recognize that their over-devotion for their children as a disadvantage. Experts note that balance and learning to let go when the time comes are the most important things to good parenting.
Do you agree with this? What's your opinion on helicopter parenting? Share your thoughts in the comments!
