What defines a helicopter parent?

[BAckbOwlsgIrl]

Yes, I know that this thread is bashing heli-moms.

<STANDS UP>
I LOVE MY HELI-MOM.
She drove the miles down with me to college and stayed with me during RUSH. Being ill, she gave me a break and made sure that I was rested.
When I found out at the last minute about international travel, ironically, I was ill, she typed my application after I wrote my essay. My Dad proof read too.

Yes, she can and is OVERBEARING. She is pushy. She thinks that she knows everything.
And yes, I agree with her to shut her up.
BUT I HEART MY HELI-MOM.
She has never called my boss.
In my first job, she made a gourmet chowder for Christmas potluck that I passed off as my own. I got on the bosses good side.

And yes, sometimes, I let her do heli-things because it makes her feel better. There are times, when I have put her in her place or laugh at her. Laughter and humor make things better. "Yes, Mom, I could do that job as well as prime minister and solve world hunger" or simply, "Sounds great Mom, why don't you do it?"

Underneath it all, I realized that my heli-mom and others, although stubborn and pushy, REALLY just have the biggest hearts of all and are probably the most loving creatures on earth. She means well. She wants the best for me.

WERE IT NOT FOR MY HELI-MOM, I WOULD NOT BE WHERE I AM TODAY.

<STEPS DOWN>

Please don't throw anything or color my holier than thou.

[33girl]

You don't have a heli-mom. I will explain to you why.

Originally Posted by BAckbOwlsgIrl

Yes, I know that this thread is bashing heli-moms.

<STANDS UP>
I LOVE MY HELI-MOM.
She drove the miles down with me to college and stayed with me during RUSH. Being ill, she gave me a break and made sure that I was rested.
When I found out at the last minute about international travel, ironically, I was ill, she typed my application after I wrote my essay. My Dad proof read too.

A real heli-mom would write your essay herself.

Originally Posted by BAckbOwlsgIrl

Yes, she can and is OVERBEARING. She is pushy. She thinks that she knows everything.
And yes, I agree with her to shut her up.
BUT I HEART MY HELI-MOM.
She has never called my boss.
In my first job, she made a gourmet chowder for Christmas potluck that I passed off as my own. I got on the bosses good side.

A real heli-mom would not only call your boss to make sure everything was alright in your job, but would call to make sure nothing was being served at Christmas potluck that could make you sick.

Originally Posted by BAckbOwlsgIrl

And yes, sometimes, I let her do heli-things because it makes her feel better. There are times, when I have put her in her place or laugh at her. Laughter and humor make things better. "Yes, Mom, I could do that job as well as prime minister and solve world hunger" or simply, "Sounds great Mom, why don't you do it?"

Real heli-moms are lacking in humor. KIDZ ARE SERIOUS BUSINESS YO.

[ThetaPrincess24]

Originally Posted by 33girl

You don't have a heli-mom. I will explain to you why.



A real heli-mom would write your essay herself.



A real heli-mom would not only call your boss to make sure everything was alright in your job, but would call to make sure nothing was being served at Christmas potluck that could make you sick.



Real heli-moms are lacking in humor. KIDZ ARE SERIOUS BUSINESS YO.

33--I think your description here moves to the next level of helicoptering--the lawnmower parent. The parent that tries to mow over any possible obstacle their child could face.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by BAckbOwlsgIrl

In my first job, she made a gourmet chowder for Christmas potluck that I passed off as my own. I got on the bosses good side.

I'm not sure which is more -worthy -- that you would take credit for something someone else did in order to impress your boss or that it took your mother's gourmet chowder rather than your own efforts to get on the boss's good side.

[33girl]

Who wants chowder?

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I'm not sure which is more -worthy -- that you would take credit for something someone else did in order to impress your boss or that it took your mother's gourmet chowder rather than your own efforts to get on the boss's good side.

I know, right?

I'd be out of luck as my mom is less of a cook than I am. If I were to pass off her cooking as my own, I'd probs get fired for how bad it is.

If I'm sick and I need to fill something out, she'll probably hand me some Pepto and tell me to get to work. She's a horrible neglectful person.

[psusue]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

If I'm sick and I need to fill something out, she'll probably hand me some Pepto and tell me to get to work.

This is my mom to a 't'. When I was younger and would get the sniffles she would literally make me a Tylenol and make me go to school. It seemed so harsh at the time but now I am pretty no-nonsense about illness, so I think it worked.

[MysticCat]

Bumping to report that heli-parenting apparently isn't confined to the US. From The Telegraph (London): Students' pushy parents must cut the umbilical cord, say Oxford dons, as demands for exam remarks soar.

They believe their sharp elbows and pushy nature have helped to smooth the path for their children into one of the country's oldest and finest universities.

But parents of a new generation of Oxford students are causing consternation among dons, who claim they are responsible for the number of appeals doubling in the past year. . . .

“Compared with my day, when you had to go out of your way to get to a phone box to ring mum and dad once a week, with the mobile phone mum can track you down any time but equally you can ring mum because you don’t know how to open a tin of beans.

“It is more difficult to sever that over-dependency if you can contact them so easily. If you are not careful, the child will march into their interview with their mother. It is infantilisation.”

[srmom]

Originally Posted by BAckbOwlsgIrl

Yes, I know that this thread is bashing heli-moms.

<STANDS UP>
I LOVE MY HELI-MOM.
She drove the miles down with me to college and stayed with me during RUSH. Being ill, she gave me a break and made sure that I was rested.
When I found out at the last minute about international travel, ironically, I was ill, she typed my application after I wrote my essay. My Dad proof read too.

Yes, she can and is OVERBEARING. She is pushy. She thinks that she knows everything.
And yes, I agree with her to shut her up.
BUT I HEART MY HELI-MOM.
She has never called my boss.
In my first job, she made a gourmet chowder for Christmas potluck that I passed off as my own. I got on the bosses good side.

And yes, sometimes, I let her do heli-things because it makes her feel better. There are times, when I have put her in her place or laugh at her. Laughter and humor make things better. "Yes, Mom, I could do that job as well as prime minister and solve world hunger" or simply, "Sounds great Mom, why don't you do it?"

Underneath it all, I realized that my heli-mom and others, although stubborn and pushy, REALLY just have the biggest hearts of all and are probably the most loving creatures on earth. She means well. She wants the best for me.

WERE IT NOT FOR MY HELI-MOM, I WOULD NOT BE WHERE I AM TODAY.

<STEPS DOWN>

Please don't throw anything or color my holier than thou.

I hear you! I loved my heli-mom too!

Yes, there were times that she embarrassed the hell out of me, butting her nose in where it didn't belong, but I know now that she did it out of love and concern (and a desire to make sure her daughter had the best - which was also embarrassing).

I learned from her mistakes, and took the good things I got from her and tried to parent in a different way, but I'm sure I embarrassed my sons too, for different reasons. (isn't that what parents are for?).

But, I would give anything to have her back for one more day so that I could thank her for loving me so much that she put me in the forefront of her life.