Excessive protection. Helicopter moms often don't let their children take any risks. This could be as simple as not allowing them to climb a tree or play a rough sport. As a result, the children grow up without learning how to handle challenges on their own and may lack self - reliance.
One common element is mechanical problems. Just like any vehicle, helicopters can have engine or other mechanical failures which are extremely dangerous when you are in the air transporting a patient.
One common element is over - interference in academic matters. Like in the case where parents try to do their child's college work.
Well, often there's the element of the unexpected. For example, a mom plans a nice family dinner but the kids get sick right before. Also, kids' accidents are common. A mom might turn her back for a second and the kid has fallen and hurt themselves. And there's the always - dreaded potty - training disasters, like when a child has an accident on a brand - new couch.
There was a helicopter mom who monitored her daughter's every move on social media. She would comment on every post, embarrass the daughter in front of her friends, and even tried to interfere in her daughter's relationships with classmates. This made the daughter extremely self - conscious and less confident in social interactions.
One common element is the sudden loss of control. Like in the stories where the kids disappear or get into dangerous situations without the mom being able to prevent it right away.
Another common element is the over - control of the mom in the child's appearance. Moms might force their kids to dress a certain way or not allow them to have a normal hairstyle, which can make the kids feel different from their peers. Also, moms may be overly involved in the child's social life, like constantly checking who they are talking to on the phone or online, which can lead to a lot of resentment from the child as they grow older.
One common element is often stress related to time management. Moms struggle to get everything done and be on time for games. Another is dealing with difficult people, like over - competitive parents or unkind coaches.
Over - controlling. Tiger moms often decide everything for their children, from study time to hobbies.
Another is the lack of trust in the child's capabilities. In the case of the mom who wouldn't let her daughter play sports, she didn't trust that the girl could handle herself on the field. This lack of trust can be really damaging to the child's self - esteem. Also, overprotective moms tend to overstep boundaries. For example, the mom who called her son's professors in college. It's not appropriate behavior and can make the child feel smothered.
One really extreme story is a helicopter parent who moved to a different city just to be near their child's university. They would show up at the child's dorm at all hours, uninvited. Another is a parent who hired a private investigator to follow their teen when they went out with friends. And there was a case where a parent actually fought with a teacher in front of the whole class because they thought the teacher was being too hard on their child.