My youngest son teaches in higher education. On several occasions He has told me how parents “helicopter parents” swoop in to save their children when they have failing grades in his classes. Some of his students are football players, band members, cheerleaders etc., and must maintain passing grades. Sometimes coaches show up at his office; they want him to give football or basketball players extra work to improve their grades. My son is not allowed to do that and wouldn’t if he could.
While researching this subject, I found there are 22 million Millennial parents. Millennials are the children of Helicopter parents. 9,000 babies are born to them every day and the Millennial generation is shaping our society.
54% of Millennial parents view their children as “one of their best friends.”
The parenting style is, generally speaking, a reaction to the overprotective and overscheduled “helicopter homes” many Millennials themselves grew up in. When something bad happens to their child, the best friends forever parent, not unlike the Helicopter Parent, overprotects his child from experiencing the negative emotions of life’s realities. Instead of using it as a teaching moment, the parent is quick to blame the world for problems. The irony is that over time, many parents tend to become emotionally absent, or eventually agitated with the outcome. Inconsistency, or no rules, can lead parents to “walk on eggshells” around a child who believes the world revolves around him or her.
As Christian parents, let us raise our children according to God’s Word. We cannot protect our children from every hurt, every pain, or every unpleasant situation. We want them to be mature adults, not childish hot house plants incapable of facing disappointment and pain. God expects us to be sober minded and mature in the faith.
“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” I Corinthians 13:11
“That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: . . . ” Ephesian 4:14-15
“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the Word of righteousness: for he is a babe.” Hebrews 5:12-13
“Rejoice, O young man in thy youth: and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.” Ecclesiastes 11:9-10
Eileen Light