It is not a secret for anyone that the way children are brought up in the family influences their psychology, performance in school and local communities, and future life interactions. Parenting is a complex process that requires a continued support of the social, intellectual, physical, and emotional growth of a person from infancy to complete maturity. For this reason, millions of parents all over the world, while being worried about their children’s well-being, use various tactics for a successful development of a younger generation. Some individuals believe that helicopter parenting is a practical approach to the treatment of children since it gives a possibility to be involved in every sphere of a child’s life and provide constant protection. On the other hand, others are sure that this parenting style is destructive for a person’s psychology because it is usually associated with “indices of maladjustment” (Nelson et al, p. 282). Therefore, the following paper will discuss the problem of helicopter parenting by, first, exploring its harmful effects, and, second, providing a counterargument.
Helicopter parenting, which is also referred to as lawnmower parenting, is an overcontrolling type of upbringing that has an adverse impact on the adult relationships of a child. As indicated by Willoughby et al., parents that are overinvolved in the daily interactions of children and “insert themselves into the relational decision-making process” seriously harm the emotional state of the youth (p. 670). As a result of such childhood treatment, millions of emerging adults are not capable of establishing committed relationships, such as friendships and marriages (Willoughby et al, p. 670). This issue appears because, during the years of nurture, children develop strong negative feelings towards parents which significantly lower their desire to trust, open up, and love other people and strengthen intimate attachments with them (Willoughby et al, p. 671). Thus, while trying to protect every social interaction of children, parents do not understand that they indirectly traumatize their future ability to develop connections with other individuals.
In addition, there exists a strong belief that, because of its technique of overseeing every crucial and minor detail of children’s life, helicopter parenting has a negative influence on children’s academic performance. Parents develop an idea that they are responsible for every success and failure when it comes to studying; hence, they continually desire to take part in the process of receiving education. It has been proved by Schiffrin and Liss that children who have helicopter parents report a significant loss of motivation to learn, desire to develop their knowledge, and ambition to interact with classmates and teachers (p. 1472). While being under the influence of the helicopter type of upbringing, children avoid performing positively in academic institutions that, eventually, upsets their parents and contributes to the deterioration of relationships with them (Schiffrin and Liss, p. 1472). Therefore, it can be stated that lawnmower parenting is destructive both for the academic achievements of children and their success in communication with parents.
Another adverse impact of helicopter parenting, which is one of the most severe ones, is that it contributes to the emergence of mental illnesses in children. As concluded by Higuera, “students raised by so-called helicopter parents are more likely to be on medication for anxiety and depression.” A constant control from authoritative family members makes children more prone to feel anxious when delivering any information concerning their studies, relationships, and daily activities (Higuera). Moreover, these children have a massive risk of attributing entitlement problems while believing that they have certain privileges over other individuals (Higuera). This issue arises because, throughout life, human beings are being cared for too much and get used to receiving everything they want (Higuera). Consequently, while thinking that they are doing their best for children, parents considerably harm their psychological health.
Even though there are several adverse ramifications of helicopter parenting, emerging studies reveal that it can actually be beneficial. Increased control and protection can definitely harm people’s perceptions of marriage and intimate relationships and lower the overall physical and emotional well-being (Nelson et al, p. 282). At the same time, helicopter parenting that respects the boundaries and preferences of individuals is related to several favorable aspects of parent-child relationships (Nelson et al. 282). For instance, warm and caring family members concerned about various spheres of child development can provide needed guidance and encouragement for the youth (Nelson et al. 282). They might contribute to children’s involvement in different activities and help them find meaning in life (Nelson et al, p. 282). Hence, when helicopter parenting is happening within healthy boundaries, it is essential for a child’s development.
Overall, the means of treating young generations during childhood is crucial for establishing their personality and future life. Family members have a privilege of teaching children the rules of the existing society and training to follow various values and beliefs. Because of that, parents pay close attention to different approaches used for bringing up children. Nowadays, one of the most common types of parenting is a helicopter tactic which receives both positive and negative comments from the psychological research. Therefore, in order to understand this topic better, the presented paper explored its dominating destructive effects and discussed a contrasting opinion.
Works Cited
- Higuera, Valencia. “What Is Helicopter Parenting?” healthline Parenthood, 2019.
- Nelson, Larry J., et al. “Is Hovering Smothering or Loving? An Examination of Parental Warmth as a Moderator of Relations between Helicopter Parenting and Emerging Adults’ Indices of Adjustment.” Emerging Adulthood, vol. 3, no. 4, 2015, pp. 282-285.
- Schiffrin, Holly H., and Miriam Liss. “The Effects of Helicopter Parenting on Academic Motivation.” Journal of Child and Family Studies, vol. 26, no. 5, 2017, pp. 1472-1480.
- Willoughby, Brian J., et al. ““Back Off”! Helicopter Parenting and a Retreat from Marriage among Emerging Adults.” Journal of Family Issues, vol. 36, no. 5, 2015, pp. 669-692.