Helicopter Parents Can't Really Fly

The article "The Child Trap" was an interesting reflection on a phenomenon I'd heard about before, but never closely examined. While the article's points are definitely true ($400 for one hour of tutoring? No way!), I don't think some of the concepts discussed should be dismissed outright. My point of view may be a little skewed as I never had to worry the way the children mentioned in the article did. Certainly my mom encouraged intellectual growth, but never pushed or forced me into classes I didn't want. Along the same lines, even though I did take several AP classes throughout high school, I was never pressured to study for their exams or for the SAT exams. Whenever my friends called, I was often encouraged to visit them, which seems to be a marked difference from a majority of posters.

However, there are certain aspects of these "helicopter parents" that I would not have minded had they been in my own life. For example, special clubs and activities, perhaps camps, or even tutors for subjects not offered in school. While I would obviously dislike being forced into studying a subject which I had no interest in, I would have gladly jumped at the chance for tutoring or extra courses in subjects such as languages and perhaps some science. With this in mind, I would say that particular cases of this kind of parenting wouldn't necessarily be harmful, as long as it is done in a moderate manner.

Basically, while the cases presented in the article are undeniably extreme and negatively influencing the children, this should not discourage ALL such behavior. For example, if your child has an interest in a subject, then it may be beneficial to allow them to explore it. This is not to say that they should be immediately enrolled in rigorous classes on it, but that options should be presented to them. On the other side of this, if a child is performing exceptionally poorly on a core or important subject, such as math, then a tutor may be a wise investment. The key here, which is something I think the article understates, is moderation rather than extremity. While the examples the author presents represent one extreme, this should not mean balancing by rushing to the opposite end of the spectrum.