Helicopter parenting: The cost of being micromanaging, overhelpful parents

A typical helicopter parent doesn't believe her child is able to do something and therefore intervenes to prevent failure. —123rf.com

IN 2011, Amy Chua’s Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother became not only documented evidence of stereotypical strict Asian parenting, it also offered a starting point for discussion about parenting styles. Along that same level of ultra-involvement – that of a tiger mum/dad – lies another type of parent: one that, instead of putting the learning experiences on the child, places the responsibility of intervention on parents.

These parents hover around their children to keep the latter from accidents and/or failures, aspects that the parents perceive to be detrimental to the young ones.