Helicopter Parenting is Dooming the Millennial Generation.
Many of today’s young adults are being set up to fail at adulthood. They are entering the world without the ability to be self-sufficient. Many of today’s young adults are returning to their childhood homes after college graduation. They are also looking to their parents more and more to provide assistance in their careers and personal relationships. This failure to launch was once considered shameful, while today it is considered socially acceptable, if not the societal norm. What is causing this disturbing trend of delayed independence within the Millennial generation? I believe it is caused by parents, in particular parents who practice the helicopter method of parenting.
There are many milestones to be achieved on the path to adulthood. A few of the biggest and most universal milestones are completing school, establishing an independent residence, and obtaining full-time employment. Today’s young adults are reaching these milestones on a delayed time table. From 1970, to the year 2000 the percentage of men …show more content…
This leads to adults who are afraid of making mistakes, of being wrong, and unable to solve challenges in creative ways Children now play in playgrounds with rubber grounds, and the jungle gyms so loved by the children of the eighties are banned due to fear of broken bones. Children of well meaning, but over involved parents, are tightly scheduled with an assortment of music classes, sports practices and academic pastimes. Parents drive their children to all their activities, terrified of what might happen if they allowed their child to walk or ride a bike. In an article for the “Economist”, David Parkins bluntly states, “Children learn how to handle risks by taking a few, such as climbing trees or taking the train, even if that means scraped knees and seeing the occasional weirdo. Freedom is exhilarating. It also fosters
Many of today’s young adults are being set up to fail at adulthood. They are entering the world without the ability to be self-sufficient. Many of today’s young adults are returning to their childhood homes after college graduation. They are also looking to their parents more and more to provide assistance in their careers and personal relationships. This failure to launch was once considered shameful, while today it is considered socially acceptable, if not the societal norm. What is causing this disturbing trend of delayed independence within the Millennial generation? I believe it is caused by parents, in particular parents who practice the helicopter method of parenting.
There are many milestones to be achieved on the path to adulthood. A few of the biggest and most universal milestones are completing school, establishing an independent residence, and obtaining full-time employment. Today’s young adults are reaching these milestones on a delayed time table. From 1970, to the year 2000 the percentage of men …show more content…
This leads to adults who are afraid of making mistakes, of being wrong, and unable to solve challenges in creative ways Children now play in playgrounds with rubber grounds, and the jungle gyms so loved by the children of the eighties are banned due to fear of broken bones. Children of well meaning, but over involved parents, are tightly scheduled with an assortment of music classes, sports practices and academic pastimes. Parents drive their children to all their activities, terrified of what might happen if they allowed their child to walk or ride a bike. In an article for the “Economist”, David Parkins bluntly states, “Children learn how to handle risks by taking a few, such as climbing trees or taking the train, even if that means scraped knees and seeing the occasional weirdo. Freedom is exhilarating. It also fosters