Are you the kind of parent who constantly fusses over your children? Also, do you micro-manage their daily activities? If you have answered YES to both the above questions, then guess what –you’re a Helicopter Parent!  

During the year 1980s, the term ‘helicopter parenting’ was concocted and refers to overprotective parents, and in some cases, hovering over everything the child does. Nonetheless, when you do so, you deprive them of several opportunities that can facilitate their growth. In turn, they become dependent and are unable to fend for themselves. In all, this trend is not considered healthy, and you must refrain from doing so.

In most cases, helicopter parenting stems from anxiousness or fear; also, you may feel that you’re not doing enough as a parent. Well, know that being a helicopter parent does not allow your kids to learn from their own experiences; moreover, they are not held accountable for their actions. In other words, you do more harm than good.

During the quest to stop your helicopter parenting ways, practice the below-listed tips:

• Let Things Be

There may be times when your child does not complete his homework or forgets his lunchbox. Here, try not to remind them. When you do so, they will face the consequences, but those will be small and insignificant. Also, do not forget that children learn from their mistakes, and they are less likely to be forgetful the next time around.

• Never Take Your Child’s Responsibility

Sometimes, when things do not go as planned, you being a helicopter parent may feel that somehow you’re responsible. The general tendency is to think that you could have saved the situation by reminding them. Avoid doing so. Keep in mind that your kid will start doubting your capabilities and begin to perceive that you’re actually at fault; besides, they will never take responsibility for their actions if you do so.

• Allow them to Fail

Normally, helicopter parents do all that they can to keep their children from falling or losing. Such an attitude is not healthy. Understand that the child learns the most when they fall or lose. A good strategy would be to teach them to never give up, or you can tell them to rise and try again if they fail.

By doing so, they will learn to deal with failures and be more empathetic towards others. Also, if they win after losing, they will cherish their triumphs much more. More importantly, they will have their own experiences, learn from them, and emerge stronger beings – in short, a win-win situation.

• Conduct Basic Life Skills Training

One of the best ways of bringing up a child is to teach them basic skills. In fact, you can teach your kid one basic life skill every 1 month – such as cooking meals, changing tires, and doing the laundry. Remember that if you give them responsibility from a young age onwards, they will grow to become dependable persons.

• Face-to-Face Interactions

In today’s fast-paced times, kids spend a lot of time on their Smartphones. We all know this trend is not healthy. However, you can teach them to have more human and face-to-face interactions to counter such addictions. Keep a watch on how much time they are spending on the internet; and if they do so excessively, impose limits. Further, encourage them to partake in sports or other activities with other children; this helps them to develop team-building skills and instills healthy competitive spirit.