Helicopter parent, Lawnmower or Tiger Mom?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


Helicopter parent is a colloquial, early 21st-century term for a parent who pays extremely close attention to his or her child's or children's experiences and problems, particularly at educational institutions. The term was originally coined by Foster W. Cline, M.D. and Jim Fay in their 1990 book Parenting with Love and Logic: Teaching Children Responsibility, although Dr. Haim Ginott mentions a teen who complains, "Mother hovers over me like a helicopter..." on page 18 of the bestselling book Between Parent & Teenager published in 1969. Helicopter parents are so named because, like helicopters, they hover closely overhead, rarely out of reach, whether their children need them or not. In Scandinavia, this phenomenon is known as curling parenthood and describes parents who attempt to sweep all obstacles out of the paths of their children. It is also called "overparenting". Parents try to resolve their child's problems, and try to stop them coming to harm by keeping them out of dangerous situations.

Quiz: Are you a helicopter parent? I got 15 :OD Which means I'm not one. Woohoo!

Some college professors and administrators [who?] are now referring to "Lawnmower parents" to describe mothers and fathers who attempt to smooth out and mow down all obstacles, to the extent that they may even attempt to interfere at their children's workplaces, regarding salaries and promotions, after they have graduated from college and are supposedly living on their own. As the children of "helicopter parents" graduate and move into the job market, personnel and human resources departments are becoming acquainted with the phenomenon as well. Some have reported that parents have even begun intruding on salary negotiations.

There are also horrendous "Tiger Mothers" named after Amy Chua.

Scary stuff!

But I'm really the multi-tasking momma that follows this "Oops! Dad drops daughter to catch foul ball" or I like to think so :OD




And this is how it should be done..WTG Momma :OD

Though truthfully, before I get a few comments :O) I would have bent over my babe and turned away from a ball travelling towards me at great speed.


Thank you Anon for your prompt, I have been enlightened.