Helicopter parent

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A helicopter parent is a term for a person who pays extremely close attention to his or her child or children, particularly at educational institutions. They rush to prevent any harm from befalling them or letting them learn from their own mistakes, sometimes even contrary to the children's wishes. They are so named because, like a helicopter, they hover closely overhead, rarely out of reach whether their children need them or not.

An extension of the term, "Black Hawks," has been coined for those who cross the line from a mere excess of zeal to unethical behavior such as writing their children's college admission essays. (The reference is to the combat helicopter of the same name.)

1 Origins
2 Explanations
3 Beyond college
4 References
5 Further reading
6 External links

[edit] Origins

The term "helicopter parents" is a pejorative expression for parents that has been widely used in the media; however, there has been little academic research into the phenomenon. Although the term seems to have originated and been in use among schoolteachers as far back as 1991, it only gained wide currency when American college administrators began using it in the early 2000s as the millennial generation began reaching college age. Their late-wave baby-boomer parents in turn earned notoriety for practices such as calling their children each morning to wake them up for class and complaining to their professors about grades the children had received. Some of these parents had, in fact, chosen the child's college, and hired consultants to help fine-tune the application process.

Today some parents of students in the primary and secondary grades have attempted to neutralize the term by openly referring to themselves as helicopter parents and wearing t-shirts sporting the logo "helicopter parents."

[edit] Explanations

The rise of the cell phone is often blamed for the explosion of helicopter parenting — it has been called "the world's longest umbilical cord"^[1]. Parents, for their part, point to rising college tuitions, saying they are just protecting their investment or acting like any other consumer. Newer federal laws, such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), have also recognized the importance of family in the educational process.

Some universities have begun to ban the use of cellular phones in college offices, to snip the cellular-umbilical link. The General Curriculum office at the University of Illinois, for instance, has approximately ten signs posted in the student waiting area which read "NO CELL PHONES". Several businesses on the UI campus have also banned cellular phones. Employees of a local bus company have indicated that their ban is due to excessive parent participation in the bus ticket purchase process when cellular phones are in play.^{[citation needed]}

The changing nature of college in the United States may also play a role as well. Higher education is no longer the luxury it once was.

It is now a requirement for many jobs, particularly professional or white-collar positions, and has become available to a greater portion of the population.

The tuition cost of higher education has more than doubled since 1967, even factoring in inflation.

A greater portion of students live at home either during college or afterwards.

The drinking age has not only been raised to 21 in every state but enforced vigorously in many of them.

A bachelor's degree isn't sufficient qualification for a growing number of careers.

Thus, for some, college in America is no longer seen as the gateway to adulthood and more as an extension of high school.

Some parents have formed an organization, College Parents of America, to lobby for their interests.

[edit] Beyond college

As these students graduate and move on to the job market, personnel and human resources departments are becoming acquainted with the phenomenon as well. Some have reported that parents have begun intruding on salary negotiations, and in one case showing up for a job interview on a child's behalf.