Information and Links
Join the fray by commenting, tracking what others have to say, or linking to it from your blog.
Let’s Talk About Bubble Parents
Also called Helicopter Parents. This is the species that you see hanging over their childrens’ every move. If I invented child size bubble wrap, I’d make a fortune off these mommies.
MSNBC says that the level of involvement that parents have with kids has definitely increased in the past decade. So, are you a Bubble Parent?
You can identify the toddler version of Helicopter Mom by observing the adults who are actually ON the playground equipment with the toddler– and no, I’m not talking about the itty bitty ones who literally can’tgo down the slide- I’m talking about the 3 and 4 year olds who can- and ought to- and want to- be running around by themselves. (And I’m not talking about the freaks (like me) who enjoy the teeter totter once in a while.)
Now, I would have told you that, later, say, about, Elementary school age, it’s the PTA moms. And that’s what this message board over at MSNBC seems to think. But, being one of those PTA moms, I’ve noticed that I see other peoples’ kids more than my own, because, what do ya know, everyone shows up at the fun events, and while I’m running them, my kids are running around doing God-knows-what and there’s no hovering involved. (Shhh….don’t tell anyone, but I figured out that PTA is a nice break from your kids. They even have their own CHILDCARE!)
In high school, hover moms are the ones that are writing college essays. They’ve probably even chosen the schools their kids are applying to. Now, why can’t they have just a little more finesse about it and simply brainwash their kid into that UM Scholarship? (ahem, Diva Jr. cough cough)
Sometimes I wish I had time to be a hover mom. Have you ever seen the show Intervention? Half of the kids on that show seem to come from pretty decent, normal, non-dysfunctional families. So what the heck? Is it lack of hovering? Maybe it’s too much hovering?
Then again, when you have 13 year olds having sex, all I can think is where’s the parents at? Maybe there should be a little more hovering there.
What do you think? How do you find the “perfect balance”? Is there any such thing?
Technorati Tags: MSNBC, parenting, hover moms, overparenting, intervention
I don’t know how we got into this discussion, but I told you before that I talk about my non-existent kids. Anyway my husband and I were talking and he was implying that I would be a bit controlling. He said “you can’t tell your kids what to do. You can tell them right from wrong but you can’t tell them what to do.” My response was “Why not?” I don’t see myself hovering and writing essays and such…but I do hope to have a strong influence on them.