Snow Plow Parents

[AGDee]

These really are not the norm. Yes, they are out there, but I know a whole lot of parents at that age and not a one of them is that bad. Most are letting their kids grow up as they should. I do hear from Hypo more often than once a week- she usually texts at the most inconvenient times- and when we talk on the phone it is typically because she wants to talk something out. Example- She sends a text the first week of class "Can you talk? I want to talk about my schedule" I send her a text back "I'll call you when I get home from work" I call, she goes into this long diatribe about how she isn't sure whether she wants to take x class or y class. If she takes x class, she'll only have 14.5 credits so she'll have to take more another term but if she takes y class she'll have 17 credits which is a lot. But if she goes with option 3... blah, blah, blah.

She talks and talks and talks and comes to a decision on her own while I sit there and say "Yes" "Ok" "Are you sure?" lol.

Even when she went through her medical thing last year, my only contact with health service was after it was all done- to send the doctor who went above and beyond to make sure Hypo got the right services a thank you email.

Honestly, most parents I know (and that's most of my friends/peer group at this point in life) are NOT snow plows or even helicopters. The problem is, those parents are the loudest so you hear them more.

[Katmandu]

I have friends and colleagues with collage aged children and they call/text multiple times a day about the most inane things. Constantly. Both children and mom. It's bizarre. They know every minute detail of the child's day... Food, classroom, what they wore, who said what to whom..... When my best friend and I are out shopping or for coffee, she will take or send at least a half dozen calls from young adult children. Fwap, fwap, fwap.

[ADqtPiMel]

Originally Posted by Katmandu

I have friends and colleagues with collage aged children and they call/text multiple times a day about the most inane things. Constantly. Both children and mom. It's bizarre. They know every minute detail of the child's day... Food, classroom, what they wore, who said what to whom..... When my best friend and I are out shopping or for coffee, she will take or send at least a half dozen calls from young adult children. Fwap, fwap, fwap.

See...my parents are essentially the opposite of helicopter parents. I've had zero financial assistance from them since graduating high school (worked full time through school), and they never cared at all what I did with my time or my money. But I do text with my mom every day, about really stupid stuff. I live 500 miles away and I like talking to my mom about the normal goofy stuff we talk about in person.

ETA -- I don't identify as a millenial, more like Gen X, though I'm on the cusp.

[KSUViolet06]

I had scholarships for most of school, but my dad footed the bill for stuff like dues, meal plan, etc. We talked like, bi-weekly (my dad couldn't helicopter me from CA.)

I saw my mom once every 2-3 weeks even though I lived 30 min away.

I'm actually impressed at how little my mom meddled in and checked up on my life given my age (I was 17 until Christmas break) and the fact that I was living on my own in dorm for the first time (but then again, I was a rather good student in HS so she had no reason to believe I was like, skipping class/not doing work/etc.)