As a parent, we take all possible courses to warrant affection from our children, but how often do we allow ourselves to be delighted seeing them – trying and failing – like we did when they took their first step. Of course, it’s hard to see them fall, however, in the rigmarole of our parenthood, we’ve forgotten that every other skill in life is developed the similar way.
Well, blame it to the social shift of unreasonable anxiety that followed the era of irrational exuberance in the late 1980s and an increased child endangerment— a perception, that rose with the diminishing prospects of their parents in an economy marked by jobless recovery and rising child poverty; a helicoptered child is easily sheltered, saving the parents from social disgrace and shame.
Though helicoptering as a mean has its perk, and seems to work in giving direction and achieve better grades. However, the long-term implication is vile, as children start – lacking agency, be accountable for their outcomes or take charge of their life –resulting in a generation which is always stressed out and can’t function alone, which is not good at a societal level and engenders a crisis in leadership at a place where adult-style behaviour is crucial for future success.
The generation of helicoptered children first bloomed among the middle-to-upper class parents who were desperate to maintain the status quo and the best way to accomplish this was to price out in a way that seemed meritocratic and education became the key which soon translated into the rise of ‘exorbitant higher education’ – prep classes, expensive extra-curriculars followed by rigid kids schedule and vigilant parenting. Permissive parenting became less appealing as the risks were high.
In situations of such, a society breeds fear. Kids should be able to make their own mistakes growing up. “Life is about having the confidence to get on the right path if you’re walking the wrong way; to get back up when you fall down”.
Well, parents love no doubt and loving by the means of helicoptering is an inadequate defense mechanism against the unyielding future. However, paradoxical as it may sound:
‘Our job as a parent should be to put ourselves out of this job’.