"Helicopter parent" the term first used in Dr. Haim Ginnot's 1969 book Parents & Teenagers became so popular that it gained entry into dictionary in 2011.
According to Carolyn Daitch ( an internationally renowned psychologist) Helicopter parenting refers to "a style of parents who are over focussed on their children".
Helicopter parents are those who pay unnecessarily close attention to their children's experiences and problems particularly at educational institutions and this is why they have been given this name as as like a helicopter they hover over head.
Though the term is mostly used in case of high school or college students who are capable enough of handling most of their own matters, but this style of parenting can be adopted by parent of any child irrespective of the child's age. In toddlerhood a parent might choose to constantly shadow the child , always directing child,s behaviour and allowing zero time for child. In the same way in elementary school age, a parent of the child may work authority to select activities and even friends for the child, and might provide unproportionate assistance in the child's home work.
There are many reasons for development of this not so natural parenting style. Fear of low grades of the child, fear of inability towards competing in this fast world, lagging behind or anxiety about child's future and even peer pressure from other parents lead to helicopter parenting.
Though parents start with good intentions , this patenting style doesn't lead to good concequences. It drastically decrease s confidence in children, plays havoc with their coping abilities,make them dependent and does not let them mature in right ways on right time.
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