Are you a 'helicopter' parent? :)

I am sure most of us are guilty of this in today’s world. And rightly so…I know, I  definitely am!! 🙂 Even as there different parenting styles and unique children, there are some parenting feelings that come by intuition. One of that may be “helicopter parenting”!! 🙂 
What is ‘helicopter parenting’?
We see so many atrocities committed all around us and more heinous crimes against children. This automatically makes us more protective of our children. We shield them more and more and we “hover” over every move of theirs which leads us to the term “helicopter parenting”. So, “helicopter” parenting is hovering over the kids too much and monitoring their activities and lives most of the time. This over protection is so much that sometimes they are not able to take many decisions on their own.
The problem partly arises, because they may grow but in our eyes, they are still the same “small child”! 🙂 and we worry wherever they go.  We may never have been brought up that way but in today’s world, “worry” comes with parenting. We cannot allow them to freely walk outside, cannot allow them to cross the road on their own(even if they are 15 years old!! :)), cannot allow them to travel by city buses, cannot allow them to do any house work and on and on. We smother them and shield and it sometimes continues all through their lives!! Parents remain as parents – “the all knowing ones!! :))” and children remain “children” – the “all unknowing ones”!! 🙂 (This continues even if you are 30 year old child and 60 year old parent!! ;))

Is it wrong?
I am sure there is no perfect right or prefect wrong in parenting. What might work for one might not work for another. However, I don’t think there is anything wrong with “helicopter parenting” at a young age when the child does not know right from wrong. But after they grow, too much of hovering might impede a child’s ability to be independent(all said and done, after a while they will be independent – just the path will be harder)
How do we solve this?
As I ponder “unhelicoptering” I have started to let them take decisions on their own and encouraging them to be free outside(at least one of my kids is eligible for that) It is a fine line to teach them to be independent as well not neglect them entirely either. I am still learning the ropes of dealing with “unhelicoptering”… Wish me luck!!  🙂