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If you've ever heard of "Love & Logic" or read any of those parenting books, you'll have heard of helicopter parenting. The guys who wrote that book (Parenting with Love and Logic: Teaching Children Responsibility) were the ones to coin that phrase - "helipcopter parents" - back in the 90's I think... I read the book in '95 but it was a used copy so I don't know when it first came out. It was talked about when they were discussing ineffective parenting styles in that book.
There's also "lawnmower parents" : this wasn't coined by the Love & Logic dudes, but it is used in college towns (every college town we've lived in, and every college I have attended, I have heard the expression used...). "Lawnmower parents" try to "mow down" all their college-age kids problems for them...
This is actually the fault of the city as well as the parents.
Our easter egg hunt is large, but they divide it into age groups. Only toddlers and preschoolers and special needs kids get to have parents helping.
Since the area is fenced and gated, it is pretty easy to allow only children into the open area behind the fence, then the kids stay on the sides until the adult who is in charge says go. Each age group has a separate area that is used.
Our hunt is held by the town park and rec. It's on a football field that has taped off sections for each age group. Hundreds of kids show up and the whole thing lats about a minute. Only in the toddler section do parents help or even step foot on the field. My kids would have been mortified if I tried to step in -even when they were preschool aged.
Have never heard this term. I was taken back by reading this article about an Easter Egg Hunt that was cancelled because of the parents. I hope this isn't the norm today in parenting.
The easter egg hunt situation was clearly out of control..I'm not sure if it is just about people being helicopters though, or more of an entitlement thing.
I think the idea of being a helicopter parent actually exists, but I don't believe every situation where a parent advocates for her child means they are being helicopterish.
Have never heard this term. I was taken back by reading this article about an Easter Egg Hunt that was cancelled because of the parents. I hope this isn't the norm today in parenting.
Over Easter Eggs??? Now I have heard it all...
Helicopter Parents, those who see their kids as narcissistic extensions of themselves, seem to be a growing group.
They take the fun and wonder out of childhood and turn everything into a event centered around themselves.
It extends into the work place. A family member runs a large department at a large firm that hires many 20 somethings fresh out of college. He's told me many a story about Mom calling him when they feel like their son is not being treated well or gotten the raise / promotion.
Can you imagine your mom calling your boss to complain ?
It extends into the work place. A family member runs a large department at a large firm that hires many 20 somethings fresh out of college. He's told me many a story about Mom calling him when they feel like their son is not being treated well or gotten the raise / promotion.
Can you imagine your mom calling your boss to complain ?
That's simply amazing to me that a parent would do that. I have also heard of parents calling potential employers after interviews to find out why their kid didn't get the job.
A mother once accompanied her daughter to our office for a job interview. She didn't try to go into the interview with her daughter, but she walked around the office talking to the employees and commenting on photos of their children, etc.
We never did those big public Easter egg hunts for our kids. I've never liked crowded events like that. We've always done our own Easter Egg hunts either in our home or in a yard with the family. When you leave it up to other people to provide your kids entertainment on what are meant to be special days, you should expect things not to go entirely as you would have liked.
After reading this article, and others like it regarding public Easter egg hunts, it sounds like Easter is slowly turning into what Halloween has turned into in many of the cities we've lived in: adult children (traditionally too big for trick-or-treating but still doing it anyway for the free candy) and pushy parents taking over. Moderator cut: snip
I think the organizers of Old Colorado City are right: things like this, when they've grown too big and aren't fun anymore for the kids, it's time to end it and focus your energies elsewhere. Make those greedy parents step up to the plate and organize something for their own kids themselves.
Last edited by JustJulia; 03-27-2012 at 07:41 AM..
Reason: no need to start a racial debate
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Helicopter Parents
Now I have heard it all...
