Talk:Helicopter parent

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Peer review Helicopter parent has had a peer review by Wikipedia editors which is now archived. It may contain ideas you can use to improve this article.
Image:WikiWorld_icon.JPG Helicopter parent was featured in a WikiWorld cartoon:
(click image to the right for full size version.)
Maintained The following user(s) are actively contributing to this article and may be able to help with questions about verification and sources:
Daniel Case (talk · contribs)
This in no way implies article ownership; all editors are encouraged to contribute.

Contents

[edit] Dead Link

The link for citation 2 no longer seems to be valid


The following sentence in the article makes no sense; some text seems to be missing:

Parents, for their part to rising college tuitions, and just say that they are protecting their investment or acting like any other consumer.

David Hoag 23:27, 11 September 2005 (UTC)

Yes, it was an error. "point" is missing. Will fix. Daniel Case 02:36, 12 September 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Americentric

I must say, this page seems painfully Americentric, even though this is a parenting trait I've observed in other countries. In my first year of university in Australia, I've noticed some parents (thankfully not my own!) possessing traits described in this article, and the same for folks I know back in New Zealand. The actual term 'helicopter parent' is not something I've seen used (not even in American publications or amongst my American friends), but the behavioural pattern certainly is not just limited to the US. So could someone give this a bit more of an international, less Americentric approach? This is Wikipedia, not Ameripedia.

Also, please call tertiary institutions 'university', as the term is less ambiguous. 'College' to a New Zealander such as myself refers to secondary school. - Axver 11:28, 15 June 2006 (UTC)

I'd like to see some actual sources. I don't doubt the behavior exists elsewhere, but the Googling I did when I created the article turned up only US references. I wouldn't be surprised if the term starts to get used in other English-speaking countries; it's more widely used among educators than among the general population here. Daniel Case 14:04, 15 June 2006 (UTC)

I must say that it always shocks me when I go to US college websites and find a section called "parents". In Canada, everything is geared toward students. Is the "parents" section a recent development? --Westendgirl 03:28, 16 July 2006 (UTC)

Yes, according to some of the articles I've read while recently looking for things to add, quite a few colleges have created positions for parent relations. They felt there was a need. Daniel Case 03:44, 16 July 2006 (UTC)

An identical phenomenon has developed over the last decade in Israel where parents are more and more invested and involved in their child’s military service: http://www.army.co.il/army/forum_articles.asp?Fnumber=25&ArticleID=63 (Sorry its in Hebrew, couldn't find one in English) The phenomenon has parents calling their sons' commanders, complaining in their name, fighting for better service conditions (prior to enlistment), over-use of cell phones, etc. This too is often against the will of the son / daughter. The point is: Israeli mandatory military service is for ages 18-21, the equivalent of American College, most Israeli soldiers also live at their parents house, and there is the result of the same over-involvement. The article displays the phenomenon as something specifically to do with Collage, while it is probably more general and widespread, having less to do with College-specific reasons. DuckeJ 15:44, 22 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Citation needed

Suburban Express employees have indicated that the ban is due to excessive parent participation in the bus ticket purchase process when cellular phones are in play

Provide a source, please. If this is something they said to you, we can't use it. If it's written down somewhere, cite it.

If there is none within seven days, I'm parking it here. Daniel Case 01:15, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Explanations?

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

What does this have to do with the article, much less explain the behavior in question? The drinking age was increased to 21 well before this phenomenon was recognized. -Pjorg 18:55, 2 November 2007 (UTC)

Well, it's been suggested that it's killed the college party scene enough that that aspect of establishing independence from your parents is not as viable as it used to be. You forget that the generation currently in college, unlike those in college when it was raised or afterward (like myself), have no memory of a time when there was a lower drinking age. Thus the culture around college drinking has changed in the time since it was raised.

Mind you, this doesn't alone explain the phenomenon, but in combination with other factors increasing parental involvement in the college experience, it contributes. Daniel Case 22:37, 2 November 2007 (UTC)

So, to clarify, your saying that the raised drinking age has the effect of "extending childhood" (for lack of a better phrase, off the top of my head:), and by default maybe extends the parents involvement during university age? Wonder if that same effect is seen in kids who learn a trade - at that same age - and go to work instead of college? Engr105th 19:13, 7 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] This article is one-sided, the issue is not

There is a lot of controversy, and understandably so, about the use of "helicopter parent" as a stereotype to sneer at parents someone thinks are over-involved. I was never a helicopter parent but according to a scientific study quoted in the Washington Post and Inside Higher Ed such parents have many benefits for their kids. Anecdotal evidence from friends on the faculty at Harvard and MIT is that many, many of these high-achieving students have pesky helicopter parents, whose "over-involvement" has produced some wonderful kids. betsythedevine 19:08, 3 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Curling parents

This concept is very well-known in Sweden under the name curlingförälder ("curling parent"). In Denmark, it appears that curlingbarn ("curling child") is more common. The article should definitely try to include information about this phenomenon as it occurs outside of the English-speaking world.

Peter Isotalo 10:41, 23 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Other cultural instances

The term 'helicopter parents' brings to mind the dreaded 'kyo iku mama' in Japan... 192.206.151.130 (talk) 15:32, 21 April 2008 (UTC)

Which is...? 86.149.0.182 (talk) 14:20, 11 May 2008 (UTC)
I've heard it translated as "education mama" ... mercilessly drives her children to do as well as possible on the school exams, gets them in mutltiple jukus, study relentlessly with them at home afterwards. Sort of like some sports parents in the U.S. But this term refers not to pushy sports parents but to parents who are never too far away to cushion any adversity they might face. Daniel Case (talk) 16:54, 11 May 2008 (UTC)