Helicopter parents are well-meaning parents who hover over their kids. If something happens, heaven forbid, such as falling over, fighting over a toy, or getting a bad grade, helicopter parents swoop in and do everything they can to make things better.

Sometimes being a helicopter parent is a good thing — in crowds, near water, or anywhere that physical danger exists.

Stunted Growth

But helicopter parenting when it’s playtime, sports time, or when kids are learning, eating, creating, and doing normal kid stuff can be bad for our child.

Why?

It teaches them to be victims, to wait for someone to solve their problems, and it undermines their resourcefulness.

It’s natural to step in and help. There’s so much at stake!

But to raise positive kids, we need to take a step back and let them figure some things out on their own. If we do, they’ll develop resilience and resourcefulness — and they’ll need us less.

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Originally published at Mum Daily. Photo by Mikhail Nilov.