Helicopter parents and their presence out of control?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m seeing lots of parents on FB posting first day of college pics this year, some of them even holding up signs like they did in elementary school. Not the drop-off pictures, mind you. But, like, first day of class. Had never seen this before, but I’ve seen several in the last week. These poor kids. Just let them be.

Was the parent taking the picture, or sharing a picture the student sent?

Plenty of people have their kid send them a photo. I think it's cute. Especially since most who do that have been doing it since preschool. I have a friend with 4 kids---oldest is 29, youngest is 13. Preschool thru 12th grade she has always posted a first day of school. If the college kids sent her one, she posts it as well.
This is someone who is not a helicopter, and doesn't post much on FB, but it's a family tradition for them. Her College junior sent one and she posted that.

I really don’t think it’s cute anymore. When does it end? Will there be a first day at grad school pic? First day on the job? Let these kids develop into individuals now. Their accomplishments are theirs, not yours.

Agree. It’s pathological once college begins. Get a life, mom!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah... you know what?
I'm a little tired of people criticizing helicopter parents.

We all do what we think is best for our families. I don't think being close-knit and seeking family togetherness is inherently bad, quite the contrary. I speak as a member of an international family whose relatives are scattered all over the world.

If I thought doing something "non-traditional" for my family was helpful, or if it made me very happy and I could afford it... heck yes, I'd do it!

Yes I agree!

What’s wrong with caring about your child’s future?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah... you know what?
I'm a little tired of people criticizing helicopter parents.

We all do what we think is best for our families. I don't think being close-knit and seeking family togetherness is inherently bad, quite the contrary. I speak as a member of an international family whose relatives are scattered all over the world.

If I thought doing something "non-traditional" for my family was helpful, or if it made me very happy and I could afford it... heck yes, I'd do it!

Yes I agree!

What’s wrong with caring about your child’s future?

Caring about your child’s future means letting go. That means no weekend visits for starters. Omg, you only see them during parent’s weekend, then at fall break, then at Thanksgiving, then for an entire month during Christmas. His will my delicate little teacup survive without me for 4-6 week intervals?


There are some cray cray parents in the DMV, that’s for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah... you know what?
I'm a little tired of people criticizing helicopter parents.

We all do what we think is best for our families. I don't think being close-knit and seeking family togetherness is inherently bad, quite the contrary. I speak as a member of an international family whose relatives are scattered all over the world.

If I thought doing something "non-traditional" for my family was helpful, or if it made me very happy and I could afford it... heck yes, I'd do it!

Yes I agree!

What’s wrong with caring about your child’s future?

Caring about your child’s future means letting go. That means no weekend visits for starters. Omg, you only see them during parent’s weekend, then at fall break, then at Thanksgiving, then for an entire month during Christmas. His will my delicate little teacup survive without me for 4-6 week intervals?


There are some cray cray parents in the DMV, that’s for sure.

As someone who hasn't seen their student since July 1, I will say there's no need for no weekend visits. Some of us like our kids and they like us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a good friend hiring students coming out of nursing programs. This year 3 of the candidates had parents in the zoom interview.
parent prompting candidate how to answer questions
parent answering the questions
parent negotiating the offer

I don’t know if anyone else has asked, so I’m sorry if repetitive. When this happens, does the interviewer say anything regarding the parent’s presence?

Strange indeed!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah... you know what?
I'm a little tired of people criticizing helicopter parents.

We all do what we think is best for our families. I don't think being close-knit and seeking family togetherness is inherently bad, quite the contrary. I speak as a member of an international family whose relatives are scattered all over the world.

If I thought doing something "non-traditional" for my family was helpful, or if it made me very happy and I could afford it... heck yes, I'd do it!


We see you Mama Bear. Hang in there! Empty nest will be ok.

Yes I agree!

What’s wrong with caring about your child’s future?

Caring about your child’s future means letting go. That means no weekend visits for starters. Omg, you only see them during parent’s weekend, then at fall break, then at Thanksgiving, then for an entire month during Christmas. His will my delicate little teacup survive without me for 4-6 week intervals?


There are some cray cray parents in the DMV, that’s for sure.

As someone who hasn't seen their student since July 1, I will say there's no need for no weekend visits. Some of us like our kids and they like us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Three cousins all went to bigger Southern schools. They were raised by Gen X parents. One set of parents quite literally bought an apartment where the daughter goes to school so they could attend all of the football home games. They say they give their daughter space and don't sit next to her at the games, but they quite literally fly in every single weekend there is home game at the school where the D goes. Same for the other 2 cousins. Parents bought a house in the city where the S goes to attend all of the games. They also go down to the city where their other D goes all the time, like probably 15+ weekends during a school year.

Is it just a common these days for parents to be so clingy? These kinds of helicopter parents were unheard of when I was in school. Who wants to go to college and have their parents even remotely close to them for the whole weekends for 85% of the academic year?

Good timing on your post.

Today in Axios: https://www.axios.com/2024/09/03/parent-anxiety-college-facebook-groups

I lurk in these groups for a certain large Virginia state school. There are a handful of mothers who are just over-the-top with their posting about every little thing. I dubbed it the "anxious mommies' facebook group."

Said someone who uses Facebook! lol!!!

Company has a market cap of $1.3T. Someone is using it. Maybe not teens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel bad for some parents. It is really hard to be a parent. If you do your job correctly, you raise a kid that doesn’t need you.

I can see why some people struggle with their children not needing them. Especially when they based their whole identity on it. Those “mama bear” ladies don’t have much else going on. I mean how many “live, laugh, love” signs can you make with your cricut?

Wow, what a misogynistic piece of sh--- you are. Guess what? I'm a professional, FT working parent. You can't just lump all "mama bears" together, or women generally, and then think you're making a valid point. Or any point whatsoever.

But, given your kids apparently seem fit to be rid of you the minute they're in school, I can see why those who have close bonds with their kids irk you so much. (And ftr, mine isn't in college yet).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah... you know what?
I'm a little tired of people criticizing helicopter parents.

We all do what we think is best for our families. I don't think being close-knit and seeking family togetherness is inherently bad, quite the contrary. I speak as a member of an international family whose relatives are scattered all over the world.

If I thought doing something "non-traditional" for my family was helpful, or if it made me very happy and I could afford it... heck yes, I'd do it!

Yes I agree!

What’s wrong with caring about your child’s future?

Caring about your child’s future means letting go. That means no weekend visits for starters. Omg, you only see them during parent’s weekend, then at fall break, then at Thanksgiving, then for an entire month during Christmas. His will my delicate little teacup survive without me for 4-6 week intervals?


There are some cray cray parents in the DMV, that’s for sure.

It does? I can tell you that my friends/family in the midwestern state I grew up in do the same things as DMV people, first. Second, visiting and talking to your kid isn't not "letting go."

Are you always so binary and simple? ANd do you always feel the need to tell other people how to live their lives?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m seeing lots of parents on FB posting first day of college pics this year, some of them even holding up signs like they did in elementary school. Not the drop-off pictures, mind you. But, like, first day of class. Had never seen this before, but I’ve seen several in the last week. These poor kids. Just let them be.

Was the parent taking the picture, or sharing a picture the student sent?

Plenty of people have their kid send them a photo. I think it's cute. Especially since most who do that have been doing it since preschool. I have a friend with 4 kids---oldest is 29, youngest is 13. Preschool thru 12th grade she has always posted a first day of school. If the college kids sent her one, she posts it as well.
This is someone who is not a helicopter, and doesn't post much on FB, but it's a family tradition for them. Her College junior sent one and she posted that.

LOL. I just taught a bloc at one of the National Defense University schools and I had a guy in full military uniform ask me to take his picture with one of those boards. His wife apparently insisted. She said if they were moving somewhere just so he could go to school then she deserved a picture. It was kind of adorable.

I really don’t think it’s cute anymore. When does it end? Will there be a first day at grad school pic? First day on the job? Let these kids develop into individuals now. Their accomplishments are theirs, not yours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah... you know what?
I'm a little tired of people criticizing helicopter parents.

We all do what we think is best for our families. I don't think being close-knit and seeking family togetherness is inherently bad, quite the contrary. I speak as a member of an international family whose relatives are scattered all over the world.

If I thought doing something "non-traditional" for my family was helpful, or if it made me very happy and I could afford it... heck yes, I'd do it!

Yes I agree!

What’s wrong with caring about your child’s future?

Caring about your child’s future means letting go. That means no weekend visits for starters. Omg, you only see them during parent’s weekend, then at fall break, then at Thanksgiving, then for an entire month during Christmas. His will my delicate little teacup survive without me for 4-6 week intervals?


There are some cray cray parents in the DMV, that’s for sure.

It does? I can tell you that my friends/family in the midwestern state I grew up in do the same things as DMV people, first. Second, visiting and talking to your kid isn't not "letting go."

Are you always so binary and simple? ANd do you always feel the need to tell other people how to live their lives?

NP I am from a Midwestern state too and I call total BS on this. Culturally this sort of over involvement is just not done unless you happen to be from a smaller, traditionally more protective community (Jewish, etc). Thats the only place you’d possibly find it.

[Anonymous]

While there are way to many helicopter parents this is just a bunch of SEC fans using the tax code to reduce the cost of going to games. They will be able to write off some of their trips to check on their rental properties and of. Purse not have to pay jacked up hotel rates on game weekends. Looks like they learned something while attending those increasingly popular souther state schools.

[Anonymous]

Young people’s brains do not fully develop until age 26. After age 26, they are finally capable of making sound, adult, decisions.

Before that age, our children need our guidance; it’s as simple as that.

I’m not going to apologize for being a good parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Young people’s brains do not fully develop until age 26. After age 26, they are finally capable of making sound, adult, decisions.

Before that age, our children need our guidance; it’s as simple as that.

I’m not going to apologize for being a good parent.

Exactly what a helicopter mom would say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Young people’s brains do not fully develop until age 26. After age 26, they are finally capable of making sound, adult, decisions.

Before that age, our children need our guidance; it’s as simple as that.

I’m not going to apologize for being a good parent.

Lol, at 26 I had already finished grad school, had a job and one kid. You can function independently with a prefrontal cortex still developing