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Have you ever watched a helicopter as it hovers over any given situation? As you watch you soon begin to notice a very disrupted scene. The area is now a noisy mix as everyone covers their face and tries to flee the area. Now everyone has left the scene because no one wants to be near the mess which the helicopter has caused.

This same scenario is just what "helicopter parents" do with their children. Have you ever tried to work as someone was constantly standing over your shoulder? Their nagging stare is enough even to make Einstein mess up his "theory of relativity." Of course children do need some guidance but this constant hovering is obsessive.

The mind of a young child is a very precious tool which needs to be nurtured, just as you would care for a young immature flower. Dominating the young mind usually causes children to grow up to be introverted individuals. Children are so used to being dominated by their parents their only defense is hide within themselves until the intruder has vacated the scene.

As the parents hovers over the child their physical and mental abilities are blocked by this constant guidance. I'm sure the parents are not trying to harm the child, but children also need room to grow just as the young flower. What these parents don't realize is that they're blocking the child's mental and emotional growth by their obsessive guidance.

Parents are so overwhelmed by the situation they feel a need to be constantly in charge of every situation. They're obsessed with a feeling of perfection as they watch their child go through their daily routines. But their constant guidance is so overpowering they end up overwhelming the mind of the young child.

Just as the helicopter dominates the once tranquil scene so does the overbearing parent. Children need to be able to use their creativity, and be able to think on their own. But this "thinking on their own" is almost impossible with a helicopter parent. The young child needs to be able to learn to make decisions in life and learn to grow from their mistakes. This is what growing up is all about; learning from trial and error.

It's good that these helicopter parents are concerned with their children lives but children are just small people, and also need their own space to grow as they prepare themselves for their futures. If you hover around your child with your compulsive tendencies all of their lives, how will they be able to exist when you're gone when the air is quiet and still around them?

Learn more about this author, Kevin Lamb.
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