There are several quizzes out there for the parents of college age students to help them identify their helicopter parent behaviors. This one is good. This one is for the parents of younger children. Unfortunately, helicopter parents always have an excuse for their behavior. If you have ever uttered the words “I called his roommate’s mother” you ARE a helicopter parent. If you make excuses for your child’s mistakes and blame someone else, you ARE a helicopter parent. If you think the rules don’t apply to your child, you ARE a helicopter parent. If you are your child’s best friend, you are probably a helicopter parent. If you are your child’s date for work and club events, you are probably a helicopter parent.

Do you argue and demand things from teachers, principals, coaches, other parents and adults who volunteer their time to give children clubs and activities? Not only are you disrespectful to the adults who are only trying to help children, you are teaching your children to disrespect others. Your children are going to grow up without any sense of personal responsibility. Everything that goes wrong will be someone else’s fault. The children of helicopter parents never learn to work out their own issues or interact with their peers.

I want to feel sorry for the children of helicopter parents, but by adolescence they become such unpleasant, self-centered brats that they are unlikeable. Nobody wants to hang out with the teen whose mother is ALWAYS there. How shocking college must be for the young person who has never had to work out their own problems. Or, who never learned that teenagers don’t treat each other the same when parents aren’t around. If they don’t get rid of their hovering parent while they are in college, there is no room for sympathy. The rest of the world will not do whatever you want to do like Mommy always did. Avoid helicopter parents and their children. They will suck you into their fan blades and slice you to bits.