I created a presentation to describe the negative implications of helicopter parenting on children's outcomes

1. Helicopter
Parenting
By Abbey McIntosh and Sailor Staiger

3. — Bill Deresiewicz,
author and teacher at Yale
University
“For students haunted their whole lives by a
fear of failure—often by their parents’ fear of
failure—the cost of falling short, even
temporarily, becomes not merely practical, but
existential”

4. TABLE OF CONTENTS
MAIN POINTS
INTRODUCTION
CONCLUSION
STATISTICS
01 02
03 04

5. INTRODUCTION
01
What is Helicopter Parenting?

6. WHAT IS HELICOPTER PARENTING?
Examples of a Helicopter Parent
● Keeping tabs on child 24/7
● Micromanaging all important decisions in child’s life
● Not allowing children to have play dates unsupervised
● Coaching their children’s coaches
Helicopter Parenting is defined as “ developmentally inappropriate, intrusive
involvement by parents”
We refer to these types of parents as helicopter parents because they are always
seen hovering and overseeing every aspect of their child’s life. Helicopter parents
are often seen doing completing tasks for their children, that their children should
be able to do on their own.

7. WHY IS
HELICOPTER
PARENTING
PROBLEMATIC?
Little experiment: Think about how many times a day you make decisions for yourself, big or
small. Now think if you had to consult someone else before you made your decision, such as
where to get lunch, when to start your homework or if you will hangout with your friends today.
That would make you feel stripped of independence and soon you would become dependent on
others to make decisions.
When a parent becomes a
Helicopter parent they are
depriving their children the
chance to be creative, develop
coping skills, build resilience,
build character
If children grow up with
Helicopter parents they
are at risk for developing
an inability to complete
things in the real world
for themselves once they
move out or move away
to college

8. PERSONAL
EXPERIENCES?

9. A QUICK SURVEY

10. MAIN POINTS
What did we learn?
02

11. ARTICLE’S MAIN POINTS
● Mental Health awareness has become a huge thing in the last few years however how much can we blame
our anxiety on the environment we were raised in? Growing up in a “helicopter parenting” environment can
become damaging to the individuals growing up in the home.
● When parents operate on an over-involved parenting style, the parents are not allowing their children to
solve their own problems or create their own ideas. This later hurts the children who grow up incapable of
independent decision-making as well as creates setbacks and opportunity for failure.
● Helicopter parenting doesn’t allow the child/student to work through their own problems instead a
Helicopter parent has taught their child to be silent and step back while the parent fixes the issues. For
example; a student is having a problem at school, instead of taking care of this issue themselves the parent
gets involved and ultimately does not teach their child any problem solving skills for themselves.
● Children of Helicopter parents lack intellectual and emotional freedom
● Helicopter parents usually decide children’s extracurricular activities for them. Leaving their children with no
opportunity to explore the activities that interest them. In the article, Deresiewicz points out that she has
experienced many young adults show a lack of interest in their work due to their parents choosing “ what is
best for them”

12. HOW HELICOPTER PARENTS CAN DO
MORE HARM THAN GOOD

13. There’s more than just 1 type of helicopter parent …
1. The overprotective parent
2. The fiercely directive parent
3. The concierge
All 3 of these deprive the child from developing a sense of self, and
therefore undercuts the child’s ability to thrive and make their own
choices. Although often this is done out of love, doing everything for your
child only hurts them in the long run.

14. 4 STEP METHOD ON HOW TO
RAISE AN ADULT
STEP 4
They can do it
independently
STEP 2
You do it with them
STEP 3
You watch them do
it
STEP 1
You do it for them
01 02 03 04

15. NOW THAT WE KNOW RESEARCH
SHOWS HELICOPTER PARENTING IS
HARMFUL, WHY DO YOU THINK SO
MANY PEOPLE CONTINUE TO
SUPPORT IT?

16. 03
IMPORTANT
STATISTICS

17. STUDIES
2011
● more than 300 students
● found that students with “hovering” or
“helicopter” parents are more likely to be
medicated for anxiety and/or depression
2010
● 300 college freshmen nationwide
● found that students with helicopter parents
were less open to new ideas and actions and
more vulnerable, anxious, and self conscious
● “Students who were given responsibility and
not constantly monitored by their
parents—so-called ‘free rangers’—the effects
were reversed.”
The article depicts several studies that have shown the correlation between an increase in mental
health issues and overparenting.

18. STUDIES
2013
● 297 college students
● found that college students with helicopter
parents reported significantly higher levels of
depression and less satisfaction in life
● attributed a decline in well-being to a
violation of the students’ “basic psychological
needs for autonomy and competence”
2012
● 438 college students
● found evidence for helicopter parenting being
linked to problematic development in
emerging adulthood
● limiting opportunities to practice and develop
important skills needed for emerging adults
to become self-reliant
The article depicts several studies that have shown the correlation between an increase in mental
health issues and overparenting.

19. 2013 American College Health Association
OUT OF 100,000 STUDENTS
84.3%
60.5%
57%
8%
Felt overwhelmed by
all they have to do
Felt very sad
Felt very lonely
Seriously considered
suicide
51.3%
Felt overwhelming
anxiety

20. EXPLANATION
● 153 schools surveyed from all 50 states
● The sample included a wide variety of schools
● This study showed that the mental health
crisis is not an isolated problem … these poor
mental health outcomes are occurring in kids
everywhere regardless of the type of school
they attend
● “The increase in mental health problems
among college students may reflect the
lengths to which we push kids toward
academic achievement … but they appear to
stem not from what it takes to get into the
most elite schools but from some facet of
American childhood itself”
84.3%
60.5%
57%
8%
Felt overwhelmed
by all they have to
do
Felt very
sad
Felt very
lonely
Seriously
considered suicide
51.3%
Felt
overwhelming
anxiety
OUT OF 100,000 STUDENTS

21. 04
CONCLUSION

22. HOW TO RAISE SUCCESSFUL KIDS –
WITHOUT OVER-PARENTING

23. CONCLUSION
As we have seen throughout this powerpoint, there
have been several studies that have shown us how
important it is to not become a Helicopter parent. It is
important to allow children/young adults to figure out
things on their own not only to foster independence but
also to learn how to navigate mental their mental
health.
Let’s talk about the healthy involvement that is needed
to foster growth in young children
- Be present and give advice when needed/asked
- Seek to understand your children’s feelings
- Allow your child to make mistakes and learn from
them without judgement

24. TAKEAWAY MESSAGES?

25. VIDEO LINKS
● “How helicopter parents can do more harm than good
with their children”
https://youtu.be/ZsTWI3y8I_o
● “Are helicopter parents ruining a generation?”
https://youtu.be/CeltnroSGco
● TED TALK “How to raise successful kids – without
overparenting”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyElHdaqkjo