You may have heard of the “helicopter” parent. They are the type of parent that kind of hovers around their child, almost overly involved in their child’s life.
But recently I heard a new term be used, the “Velcro” parent. This parent sticks to their child like Velcro.
I was having a conversation with another parent about teens applying for jobs. I had told him a funny story about my oldest son and he made the comment that some teens not only have their parents fill out their job applications but come with them to their job interviews.
Now I did laugh at that but I have to be honest, a part of me secretly wanted to go with my son to his first job interview. I wanted to “explain” some of the responses or mannerisms I assumed he would have. I knew he would be nervous and by nature he is a very laidback person. That can come across the wrong way.
So while I hope to never be called a Velcro parent, I would be lying if I didn’t say it’s a struggle to not be that kind of parent…along with the helicopter parent.
I would also be lying if I said that I haven’t coddled my oldest child a bit more than I should have. I have made progress, don’t get me wrong…but I have less than a year before he is an adult and it has required making some hard choices, forcing him to do things that he would rather not.
It seems like with each of my additional children, it has been easier to let go. I guess my oldest is the guinea pig and hopefully I haven’t ruined him for life…or at least made things difficult for his future wife.
What about you? Do you think you are a helicopter parent or even a Velcro parent? If not, what tips do you have for learning to let go?
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