Is it better to be a helicopter parent or have free range children or somewhere in the middle?
Curious what other parents think about this as I seem to find my self struggling to find a spot in the middle. Have times really changed so much that we need to helicopter or is the media just available to tell us more?
Perfect day for me to answer this question as it is my daughter's 31st birthday. What I've learned in those 31 years is this -- helicopters crash, free ranges may run away. The best place to be is in the middle for sure. You start out hovering when they are little but as they grow, you move a bit further away, giving them the freedom to eventually become their own mother. The goal of being a good parent is doing your job well enough that one day they won't need you but they will still want you.
The differences between parenting types- "the helicopter mom" and the "free range parent" read more
Research shows that authoritative and dominant parents tend to have children that don't use drugs or get in trouble in school as often as permissive parents. I have to believe that you need to set clear boundaries and enforce them, but not at the emotional cost of your child.
It's hard to know, though, when your child is trying to manipulate your good intentions. And they are quite good at it, from an early age. I think the key is good communication and staying one step ahead of them. Pay attention to them, and listen to the things that are important to them. But if they are trying to play on your tendency to give in when they want something, that's a road you don't want to go down.
Anyway, I'm just a parent and nobody knows it all! I really think every kid has his or her own personality and sometimes they are going to do what they want regardless. Set boundaries, let them know you love them -- I think that's the bottom line.
It is better to be a judicious parent. This parent knows to be protective of a child when necessary and how to more free rangewhen the occasion arise. The helicopter and free range parent are both parental extremes. A smart or judicious parent balances being protective and free range without resorting to the extreme.
The helicopter or overprotective parent is so protective of his/her child that the child isn't allowed to explore, learn, and grow.This child is kept on a tight leash by the parent.This is the type of parent that is also overcontrolling, believing that the world is mostly a prohibitive & danger place for children to be.This is the parent who oversupervises, even micromanages his/her child to the degree that the child is stunted & is developmentally behind less protected children.This child will never learn the important social & life skills to survive in academia & beyond.This is the child who is not able to make crucial position & how to be independent.This is the child, once he/she becomes an adult, will have an extremely difficult time navigating the world around him/her.
Then there is the free range parent who believe that the child is capable enough to explore his/her experiment without that much parental superviision. The free range parent strongly exhorts that the world is a safe play for children to be in. Free range parenting is good in some aspects but not so good in others. However, there are instances & situations which children need protection & close supervision from their parents,
Even though free range parenting teach children how to protect themselves, there are situations in which even the smartest & savviest of children are over their heads. Many children, unsupervised, can enter into dangerous, even life-endangering situations. Children do not have the mental capacity, emotional, intellectual & psychological maturity to discern some situations. That is why they sometimes need parental protection & supervision. Children are not adult and there are clearly some situations that they cannot handle.
by the Teaching Doc 7 years ago
Are you a HELICOPTER PARENT? If so, why?Helicopter parents hover over their children, swooping down at a moment’s notice to solve their problems for them. Are they loving parents or developmental disablers? Why do they complain to professors and administrators when their...
by At The Bus Stop 14 years ago
Are you a "helicopter parent" and why?I work at an elementary school and see lots of hovering parents. Do you think in the long run your are helping or hurting your child achieve independence and stability in his/her life?
by JerryTillotson 13 years ago
Do you admit to being a helicopter parent?I'm a high school history teacher and from where I sit the biggest challenge facing adolescents today is overparenting. Do you overparent? I would like to hear your justification.
by Grace Marguerite Williams 12 years ago
Studies show that children raised by free range parents are allowed to explore their environment more and mature earlier than children raised by overintrusive parents. Do you believe that what American society needs are more free range parents? Why? Why not?
by brittvan22 8 years ago
Just this morning Jon Gosselin from TLC's Kate Plus 8 is seeking full custody of only Hannah. On the real housewives of Atlanta it was revealed that her mother had 5 kids, kept three and sent Nene and one of her brothers away. And she still has severe abandonment issues that were evident from her...
by milleramanda53 11 years ago
When should the line be drawn for a non-custodial parent who refuses to pay child support? Is there a set amount before something is done?
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