All of us have that one friend who hesitates to even step out of the house without permission or stay out for a bit late. There is a term called helicopter parenting. Here pops up a question in our mind, “why are his parents so strict?” Those parents are not strict; they are just helicopter parents.
You might be thinking about what the term “helicopter parenting” is?
These parents are so-called because they hover over their children like helicopters, examining every step of their children from studies to their eating habits.
Being a conscious parent may sound remarkable to you and, yes it is good from some aspects but as it is said “excess of everything is bad” thus over the protection of kids also has a negative result and affects the kid in several ways; Overprotecting your child can sometimes have unwanted results on your child growth and mental development, but most of the time this might also have bad effects on parents mental and physical health too.
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Negative impacts on the child due to helicopter parents
Some of the negative impacts on the child due to helicopter parents are discussed below.
1. Low confidence level
Kids raised by helicopter parents are most likely to be shy and scared, hanging back in public and competitions of life. Secondly, the child ends up with low self-esteem that never allows him to choose for himself or do something solely.
“It is not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves, that will make them successful human beings”-Ann Landers.
2. Immaturity and underdevelopment of the brain
Helicopter parenting does not allow children to face the world and cope with their life problems; parents are always there to rescue them in any stressful situation, not allowing them to learn from their mistakes. Moreover, a child’s decision-making skills are affected even from choosing the shirt color to as big as choosing a life partner or a career, and the child can never understand his own will.
“Do not handicap your children by making their lives easy,” said Robert A. Heinlein.
3.Anger and Anxiety
A kid that has never seen failures panics when left alone in life to compete. The realization of not being capable of anything leads them to depression, and they end up shouting and yelling at minor issues. The helicoptered child is always expecting praises because his parents never let him experience defeat, leading them to psychological problems.
“Real protection means teaching children to manage risks on their own, not shielding them from every hazard,” said Wendy Mogel.
4. Spoiled kids
Are you a helicopter parent?
Most of the spoiled brats that we come across are a result of getting helicoptered. Their parents try to give the best and to their children, so they expect everything to be served on a plate everywhere and by everyone.
Besides all the negative impacts of helicoptering on a child, parents might benefit from it. Firstly parents get joy and happiness by getting involved in their child’s life. Secondly, parents feel satisfied by protecting their child from all the obstacles in life, making them feel like good parents.
Psychologists view.
However, psychologists have a different view of these parents.
According to the study, some parents regret their decisions in their lives, so they overprotect their children to prevent them from repeating the same mistake. In comparison, some parents love their child to such an extent that they can’t let them face any life problem.
According to The study published in the journal Developmental Psychology, over-controlled parenting can negatively affect a child’s ability to manage emotions and behavior.
Helicopter parenting can also be caused by insecurity and parents’ trust for their kids, which eventually scrutinizes every aspect of their children’s lives. Parental insecurity leads to a liar and feared child because, as it is said: “overprotective parents raise the best liar.”
Overthinking in parents
Are you a helicopter parent? Also, this causes overthinking in parents when they continuously worry about their children’s lives. Most of the time, they think about their decision for the child to decide best for him. During this, parents are found to be in a state of stress and anxiety too.
Similarly, a psychologist said that “Our research showed that children with helicopter parents might be less able to deal with the challenging demands of growing up, especially with navigating the complex school environment,” said Nicole B. Perry, Ph.D., from the University of Minnesota, and lead author of the study.
Overprotected childhood
Children with overprotected childhood have a lack of communication skills. A textbook said that helicopter parent tends to remove obstacles that their children face to encourage them to succeed.
This highlights that children need to make mistakes to learn, which they are not allowed by a helicopter parent.
Research by Ellen Sandseter, a professor of early-childhood education at Queen Maud University College in Trondheim, Norway, has found that kids who spend more time exploring on their own before the age of nine are less likely to have anxiety and separation issues as adults.
I am not against parents being concerned about their children but being overprotective is a bit different thing. Being a parent, you are solely responsible for your child’s needs like good education, healthy diet, sound sleep, comfortable environment, and many other necessities that you should provide to your child.
Guide your child in every aspect.
It would be best if you also guide your child in every aspect of his life. It would help if you told your child the difference between good and evil. But it should also provide some space by letting your child decide for himself. Start with a small decision. Let your child take little decisions in his hand, do not leave him alone but let him explore new scenarios in life. If a child is provided with opportunities to make decisions by himself, the child will be more confident in his life.
Also, explain to your child that one should always be ready to accept the unexpected. Tell your child that life is full of surprises. Sometimes you also have to face failure, and failure is normal and inevitable. Do not always talk about your success stories and discuss your failure with your child to make him feel that failure is not the end of life. Talks to him that how you turned your failure into success by never giving up.
Finally, helicopter parents may seem responsible for parents, but helicopter parenting does not positively affect the child’s personality.
Read our post on modern parenting.
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