Parenting is a responsibility as you are building life since its advent. It helps to deal with your fears, drawbacks, and insecurities so you do not end up pushing it onto your children. Helicopter parenting might not be a good or a bad thing depending on circumstances and what you are dealing with. Taking care of your child becomes the primary goal when they are still young.

But as they grow old, helicopter parenting is not a style that suits or does good to the mental and emotional health of children. Children experience personal growth and develop better perceptions when they are given the freedom to commit mistakes and make their choices. As your child grows old, be their best friend, their best guide instead of smothering them.

What is helicopter parenting?

Parents who decide pretty much everything that happens to their child, such as, selecting their friends, goals, etc that discourage independent behavior are helicopter parents. They hover over every aspect of their child’s life at every stage, even adulthood. They take responsibility for all that happens to their children and become overprotective inviting ridicule and hampering personal growth in the child.

It could lead to self-esteem issues and numerous psychological problems in their children. They could fail to function as fully-grown adults and experience life as they should. Parents must learn to deal with their issues to fully help the child grow.

Helicopter Parenting Negative Impact On Your Teen

When parents step into every issue of the child, not let them choose independently, it has hurts the child’s development. Parents have a good intentions of not letting their child feel bad about failures and want the best for them, so they hover over everything they do.

This hampers their personal growth as they develop low self-esteem, lack confidence, and do not develop the ability to make their own decisions. As they reach adulthood, it creates numerous problems in their functioning and perceptions.

Parents can take a different approach to encourage independent thinking and help them cope up with numerous issues and challenges. Helicopter parenting instills fear in their children as they think they cannot do anything without the help of their parents.

How To Break The Helicopter Parenting Syndrome

All parents develop helicopter parenting habits when their child is still a toddler and learning. But parents need to change this attitude as the child grows old. They can connect better with their children when they learn to be a better listener and a coach instead of controlling and monitoring their every move.

Be A Good Listener

Helicopter parents rarely take the inputs of their children and make decisions in their lives without giving regard to their emotions and what they want. When you start being a good listener, understand what they want, their emotions, fears, it gives you a better insight into their needs. It helps you bond and connect with them better.

Coach Your Kids

Guide and coach your children instead of doing everything for them. It will help them understand your value and be more trusting of you. Be open to what your child has to say and make them comfortable discussing anything they want with you. Do not restrict them from expressing themselves.

Teach your kids to take responsibility for their actions. It can be challenging for you to watch your kids stumble. Let them make mistakes and learn from them. Helicopter parenting of being overprotective and controlling can never help the child understand the consequences of their actions, behavior, or attitudes.

Coaching your teen to develop the right behavior can help them in a long run. For instance, when children get bad grades, or make bad choices, counsel or guide them instead of making decisions for them. This is a healthy way of dealing with, especially, teen issues.

Accept Your Children’s Weaknesses

Analyze your child’s strengths and weaknesses. Accept their drawbacks and help them get better at themselves boosting their strengths. It helps them develop values, and encourages good thinking. They learn better ways to deal with various challenges and situations in life.

Fight Your Urge To Overcompensate

Love, affection, or anything that has been missing in the parent’s life as a child could also be the reason for overcompensating with a feeling of anxiety. While this is done with good intent, the outcome might be negative. Let your children manage their relationships and how they communicate to the world and be their guide instead of doing their work.

Give Them A Realistic View Of Life

Treat your child fairly and not different from other children so they get a realistic view of everything in life. By the time your child grows from the stage of being a toddler, they must be able to manage their homework. They must be encouraged to have a choice of their activities.

Encourage them to make healthy choices, develop hobbies and skills that boost their self-confidence and self-esteem. Doing this will help them develop a healthy perception about relations and inculcate good values.

Encourage Individuality

Helicopter parenting is a controlling style that does more damage than good. Parents who habitually adopt this style must consciously learn to give freedom to their children and let them develop individuality. Children must be inspired to make choices from their likes and cater to their true calling, building their lives for the skill they have and want to develop.

Taking keen interest in the hobbies, and their choices help you coach them to be individualistic and create their path fulfilling their life purpose and journey. As children grow let them learn to do small tasks such as cleaning their room, tying their shoelaces, etc. They must rely less on you for their overall needs as they grow old.

Emotional Independence

This is a tough one for those who have adopted the helicopter parenting style. They are controlling because it also fulfills the parent’s emotional needs of playing the role of a martyr. This does not encourage the child to become emotionally independent; which is one of the most essential traits of growing into a healthy adult. They develop fear, anxiety, uncertainties of what to expect from a relationship when they grow old.

Don’t you want to have your own life when your children grow old? It’s fulfilling to see them grow into fine individuals when you follow these tips in parenting and let your child spread their wings and fly high. Sacrifices and self-analysis on your part can do a greater good to your children. They learn to train themselves into independent thinkers and cope up better with challenges.

Conclusion

Parenting is the toughest part and a wonderful part of your journey. If you are willing to be a good parent, you have to work on yourself too so you be the best guide and bond well with them creating relation of trust and love. Helicopter parenting is not as rosy as it looks as it has more drawbacks and negative outcomes regardless of its positive intent.