Chapter FiveWhat's Wrong with Our Government
Welcome to Helicopter America
I'm sure you've heard the term helicopter parenting. Helicopter parents hover around their children in order to protect them from every possible negative thing that could possibly hurt them in any way.
It is also known as overparenting. It is about having too much presence in your child's life. It's about overinvolvement. I know you've witnessed parents who never let their child fail, experience pain, or learn any lesson the hard way.
These parents honestly believe they are helping their children. Deep in their hearts they know their child is better off because they are protecting every aspect of his or her life. If you asked these parents why they are hovering and overparenting and trying to control everything that happens to their child, they would say it is out of love.
Those of us with a little experience and some common sense know that is not the case at all. While these misguided parents might call it love, it's actually child abuse. Yeah, you read it right: child abuse.
Children who are not allowed to experience life as it is, complete with all of the pain and problems, never learn the skills necessary to cope with the pain and problems. Not equipping your children to deal with life as it really is isn't helping them but hurting them.
While this style of parenting has become more prevalent over the last decade or so, it seems that this practice of overinvolvement, overprotection, and I-know-best-what-is-good-for-you ...
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