SOME parents are over involved in their children’s lives and are constantly hovering over their educational and career passage, choice of college, disputing their grades with professors and completing their assignments.
Some parents even decide on their children’s choice of friends, and attend interviews and job fairs with them. To a certain extent, these will undermine the children’s self-esteem, confidence and decision-making skills.
Helicopter parenting is an epidemic that is running rampant in schools and colleges with some parents obsessed with their children’s success. They hover over their children and shelter them from committing mistakes, which they perceive will bring embarrassment to the family.
There should be open communication and engagement between parents and children to strike a balance in the child’s education and career passage rather than being over protective and overly involved by controlling and suffocating them.
This does more damage in the long-run, as their children will become dependent adults unable to make decisions on their own.
In my days at university in the United States, there are laws protecting student rights and privacy.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act makes it unlawful in certain circumstances, for schools or universities to disclose information about a student.
Sometimes, parents are prohibited from accessing their child’s educational records.
The most honest proof of good parenting is seeing our children doing well in their education and careers, showing interest in the world, allowing them to learn life-long skills and finding contentment.
They can then confidently venture out and independently experience the world.
C. Sathasivam Sitheravellu, Seremban, Negri Sembilan