Helicopter Parents

Helicopter parents. The first time I heard this term was last week. Last week! And it's been around for what, 21 years! In my defence, I'm gong to say hey, I live in Kuching okayyy?

Wikipedia has this to say : 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....... Helicopter parents are so named because, like helicopters, they hover closely overhead, rarely out of reach, whether their children need them or not.

A cartoon from Jim Borgman.



OK. I love love love my children. I am very concerned about my children's education.  I worry if they study enough. I worry if they do their homework. I worry if they pay enough attention in class. I worry if they should mix with the wrong crowd. I worry if they get bullied. I worry if they have enough motivation.

But how much worry is healthy and how much is downright neurotic and how much would morph me into a helicopter parent?

Questions we should ask our kids. 

Ahh, many a time, I was so tempted to march into my kids' school and demand to see the teacher. For oh, so many reasons. For pulling a child's ears. For pinching her. For asking him to stand in the sun for hours. But my kids would have none of it. Oh pul-lease. No mummy to the rescue. No frickin' way.

So I sat quietly at home and fumed.

And then a thought.

If my kids believe they can handle it, and whatever life should throw at them, why should I stand in the way? I've got to let them go.

There are all kinds of people right? Better learn that now than later, baby. Better learn how to handle different types of personalities. And now that you're in your teens, it's the best time to make mistakes. Because you will learn more from your mistakes, than from mine.

So my sweethearts. (deeeeep breath) Go ahead, live your life. I will always love you. No matter what. And if you fcuk up, I will still be here to love you.

And if you want to be a doctor, surgeon, pilot, farmer, artist, plumber, I'm OK with it.

Oh ya. Just one last piece of advice. 

NOOO drugs. NOOOOOO sex.