Dealing with Helicopter Parents Effectively

Because they are their parents, children will hesitate more to tell their parents about their opinions about their behavior. Some children will be too scared to tell their parents and worry about their reaction or if their parents will put more pressure on them because of them voicing out their opinions. Some children will not even tell their parents because they have gotten used to it and have already thought it normal or just “how they are”.

However, since a tutor has the outsider’s perspective, they be able to tell when the parent falls under the helicopter category. As such, parents may also listen to your position about them being too involved in their child’s life. You can help them understand that while their intentions may be good, they can also limit their child and not allow them to experience possible mistakes or failures, and as such would lower their chances to effectively cope with those when time comes. They can also hinder the child’s adaptive abilities to whatever may come their way in the future. You can also iterate that because of the pressure out on them, these children can be prone to stress and anxiety which can result in them ruining their emotional and social growth and self-confidence.

When speaking to parents about the effects of their hovering, don’t directly accuse them of being helicopter parents. While they can actually be one, no one wants to be told they are being too much. As such, these parents can also get defensive when they are accused of this.

Parents want the best for their children but their actions should also be moderated. Tutors should speak calmly but also firmly as to how they can affect their child with their actions. They can also give suggestions how they can stay involved without it being too much. It’s also vital that they understand that too much stress and pressure on the child can defeat the whole purpose of tuition and may even cause more problems for the child if continued as is.