Helicopter parents: It’s the moniker assigned to the obsessively protective parents who “hover” around their children and teens.
You can find them at the playground, ready to swoop in at the first sign of ‘trouble’ – some even play an unwanted role in their child’s post secondary education and work experience.
Are you a Helicopter Parent?
While it may seem harmless to overstep, Julie Lythcott-Haims, a former Stanford University dean, warns about the dangers of so-called helicopter parenting.
The New York Times bestselling author wrote a book on the subject called How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success.
“We are so afraid of parenting wrong that we overdo it to try to get it right,” she said in a recent article published in The Parents League Review.
“With loving intentions, we overprotect, overdirect, and hand-hold our kids – to their detriment as well as ours.”
On Tuesday, April 19, Southridge School in South Surrey will host Lythcott-Haims, as part of its Annual Speaker Series.
The co-ed independent school for students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 hosts the series, once or twice per year, bringing in renowned experts, authors, or psychologists to share valuable insights in to a specific aspect of parenting.
“This extends beyond the walls of our School; we want to support parents and families throughout our community,” said Erin Labbé, Director of Communications and Marketing for Southridge School.
[button link=”https://www.netdirectories.com/~srs/oler2.cgi?1136″ type=”big”] Get Tickets HERE [/button]
“That’s why, we’re proud to offer the Series to the general public. We want to invite people into Southridge to share in a learning opportunity with other parents — to gain something valuable as they navigate the challenges of raising their own kids.”
As a mom of two young girls, 4 and 6, I’ll admit I have done my fair share of helicopter parenting.
In fact, I’m not really sure how to avoid it, which is why I’m looking forward to finding out what Lythcott-Haims has to say on the subject. The last person I want to be is that mom who has to hold their child’s hand at a job interview.
Tickets to the event are $10. To purchase tickets or for more information about Southridge, call 604-535-5056 or register through the link: www.southridge.bc.ca/speakerseries. Southridge is located at 2656 160th Street in South Surrey, B.C.
Giveaway
VM is thrilled to partner with Southridge to give away a signed copy of ‘How to Raise an Adult’ and one pair of tickets for the event on April 19th to 4 lucky fans. To enter, simply tell us below what is one thing you do that helps give your kids independence and confidence?.
We will draw the names and announce on our Facebook page April 14th. You must be 18+ to enter. Good luck!
CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. Congrats to: Jasmine, Tracy F, Michelle & Lincoln.
ABOUT SOUTHRIDGE
Southridge develops well-rounded students with a deep sense of personal integrity who have the moral character, love of learning and self-confidence to realize their full potential in a post-secondary environment and in society at large.
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.
7 Comments
Stacey
April 8, 2016 at 11:44 amI’ve encouraged my 14 year old daughter to get a job to make her own spending money. She’s learning how to manage finances (she pays for half her mobile phone bill) and how to prioritise her time between school, work, and play.
Michelle James
April 12, 2016 at 3:27 pmI’m not yet a parent, but I can share one of the ways my parents helped to build independence and confidence in their kids…
We all know how much kids hate chores…well, rather than my parents just barking directions at us, my parents gave us a list of chores, and allowed us to choose which ones we preferred to do that week, empowering us to make our own decisions (without avoiding the work). By the time I moved out on my own, I had learned to appreciate and respect a clean house!
Lincoln
April 12, 2016 at 3:35 pmSometimes it’s the little things. Starting when our daughter was around 3 years’ old – anytime the dog needed to be fed, we encouraged her to, “go grab the dog bowl, fill it with food, and take him outside”. She had to make him ‘sit’ and once he did, he was given the’okay’ and could delve right in.
She still enjoys feeding the dog to this day, 2 years later!
Jasmine Boyes
April 12, 2016 at 7:20 pmI certainly have moments where my response is to ‘fix’ the problem for my 5 year old daughter. But I know I need to focus more on helping her learn how to solve her own problems instead of doing it for her. Because let’s face it, we will not always be there to help, and I want to feel confident that she will be able to handle things on her own as she gets older. I look forward to attending this event and getting tips on how to raise an independent child.
Brad
April 12, 2016 at 7:26 pmWe are trying to let our 8-year old do more in the kitchen, including cutting, prepping and cooking the food. It gives her a sense of accomplishment and gets her to try new food
Tracy
April 12, 2016 at 8:21 pmWe encourage our 3 year old to pick out her clothes and get dressed by herself. Shoes and coat and all. This often makes for comical outfits and longer times leaving the house but she has such satisfaction in laying next out her outfits and showing when she is ready that it’s so worth it.
Tracy Fortino
April 13, 2016 at 8:00 amWe really support our 2.5 year old daughter when she wants to do things by herself. Whether it be getting her own cereal or going potty by herself we give her space. In addition, we also build on what she wants to do on her and try to show her new things she could do such as other food she could choose from or picking her own clothes.