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how to spot a
drone
while calling a child
?s professor to discuss grades or calling their employer to ask for a day off on behalf of an adult may be an obvious clue that you are a drone parent
, there are many other signs of a controlling parent. according to baton rouge and ascension family counselor john hall, lpc, a major sign of spotting a drone parent is when ?your child has minimal ability to handle disappointment, and you find yourself handling your child?s problems for them.? ?is can mean intervening when your child has a conflict with a friend, buying them presents or treats as consolation prizes, or even completing school projects for them to ensure a good grade. besides intervening on behalf of your child, another hallmark of a drone parent is when you put a friendship with your child ahead of a parent- child relationship. says hall, ?when you are more concerned with being their friend than being a parent, or when your child feels entitled to his or her expectations? then it may be time to reassess your parenting style. checking your child?s every move whether it be on social media or the physical locations that they visit is also an indicator that you?re looking at a drone parent, notes counselor stacey t wice a year, i look forward to intensely examining my friends? facebook feeds. see, every december and may when college semesters end, i get to read about some of the funniest encounters between my colleagues and their students? parents. ?e first time i read a post about a parent emailing their child?s professor about an unsatisfactory grade, i thought it was a funny, once-in-a-lifetime act of a parent refusing to cut the umbilical cord. as each semester passes, however, i have come to realize that many parents cross the line when it comes to involvement in their children?s lives. in fact, i have seen many parents of adult children swan dive across the line of appropriateness. ?e term ?helicopter mom? is so prevalent in our culture that the expression even has its own entry in the infamous online urban dictionary. ?e helicopter parent is, ?a hovering and controlling, but well-meaning, parent who gets way too involved in her child?s life to the point of doing things that are completely inappropriate, ? but according to george sachs, psy. d, the drone parent takes things even further and is silent in their movement, limiting the child?s awareness to their presence. by valerie comeaux, phd. a r e y o u a d r o n e p a r e n t ? a r e y o u a d r o n e p a r e n t ? illustration by masha klot 48 brparents.com | march 2017
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