It is said that parenting is an art. This, we believe, is quite true because just like every artist’s art is different and unique, so is parenting. Every parent has their own way of raising their children, and there really can’t be anything right or wrong when it comes to parenting. It’s probably owing to such diverse ways of parenting that, over the years, a number of diverse terms have been coined to define the art of parenting. However, the latest on the block, which is also gaining a lot of attention, is helicopter parenting.
This is exactly what we at Delhi Public School Kangra, a well-known CBSE school in Kangra, will be discussing in further depth in this blog post today. So, what do you think is different with helicopter parenting? Well, when parents hover over their children, resembling the behavior of a helicopter, they end up finding a place for themselves in this category. These parents keep a close eye on their children’s experiences and problems. Let us explore more of their traits below.
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Micromanagement:
Speaking about helicopter parents, we cannot overlook their inclination to micromanage their kids all the time. Their objective is to closely watch their children’s behaviors, be it with respect to day-to-day academics or extra-curricular activities.
Shades of micromanagement are also spotted in the child’s overall living, wherein the parents, in an attempt to make the best decisions in favor of their children, take it upon themselves to make all decisions on their kids’ behalf.
Even though the objective is in the interest and welfare of the children, it is likely to interfere with the child’s decision-making abilities in the long run. Hence, we at Delhi Public School Kangra would like to advise parents to keep micromanagement at bay and allow children the freedom to make decisions and learn from the ones that go wrong.
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Constant Shielding:
It is common for parents to want to shield and protect their children from the world. However, a smart move to make here is to equip the kids to understand “how” they can shield themselves. This is important because it is both challenging and impossible for parents to shadow their children at all times.
The case is somewhat opposite with helicopter parents. They are overprotective about their children. Some of them live under the cloud that if they do not protect their children, they will be in deep trouble. What they end up doing is constantly shielding their children, which ends up hampering their growth as an individual. Moreover, when there are signs of a threat, they are first to intervene so that their children do not feel burdened or pressured. Shielding is displayed in all walks of life, physical and emotional parameters included.
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Lack of Freedom:
Even though helicopter parents are inclined towards operating in the interest of their children, what they fail to realize here is that in a bid to act on behalf of their children, they end up snatching the otherwise dear freedom and independence from their children.
In most cases, children are likely to develop strong, undesirable feelings toward parents who fail to give them the freedom to decide, say, or act. Owing to the same, we at Delhi Public School Kangra keep the parents of our students reminded that come what may, they must try and instill the kids with self-confidence and a sense of responsibility instead of making them feel incapable of deciding or acting in their interest.
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Pressure and Stress Inducement:
As a helicopter parent, you may have encountered countless situations wherein you would have felt gripping pressure and stress. The same holds true in the case of children being raised by a helicopter parent.
This is because a helicopter parent is always trying to do better than what they did earlier in terms of being available and doing good for their children. On the other hand, children feel overtly managed and suffer from performance pressure to a certain degree.
This only goes to show that stepping into the shoes of a helicopter parent leads to building up of unnecessary stress and pressure not just on the part of helicopter parents but that of children as well. Keeping all this in mind, it is best for parents to avoid picking up the helicopter style of parenting and instead work towards creating strong and deep relations with their children.
Summing Up:
We hope this blog post has provided you with some clarity on what helicopter parenting is and what kind of traits the helicopter parents have. So, in case you feel your behavior resembles any of the above, it would be better if you keep such traits from growing any further.
Now, the next and most evident question is – whether being a helicopter parent is right or wrong? There is no one right answer to this question, but as a responsible educational institute that understands the intricacies of child behavior inside out, we at Delhi Public School Kangra, a renowned leading school in Kangra, can confidently state that being a helicopter parent should be best avoided.
This does not mean you should completely refrain from helping your child with decision-making or intervening where necessary. This only means there needs to be a proper balance wherein the child gets to act independently, but when situations go beyond control, you are ready and willing to step in.