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30 Terrifying Examples Of Helicopter Parenting People Shared In This Viral Thread
ParentingAUG 15, 2024

30 Terrifying Examples Of Helicopter Parenting People Shared In This Viral Thread

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We want to provide what's best for our children, but they also need space to learn and grow on their own without mom or dad hovering over their every move like a helicopter.
Interested in the line between the caring and the domineering, one Reddit user initiated a discussion, asking adults who were raised by overbearing parents to share their stories.
From being forced to devote all their free time to extracurriculars to tracking their location at all times, continue scrolling to read what they had to experience, and don't miss the chat we had with our parenting expert Vicki Broadbent.

#1

30 Terrifying Examples Of Helicopter Parenting People Shared In This Viral Thread
They tried to ground me after I came back from serving in the Marine Corps. Tried to take the keys to the car I own and prevent me from getting an education.

Told my Mom she can pound dirt and my Dad that if he didn't fix himself and nut up to my overbearing Mom. I'd never talk to the two of them again. Got in my car and drove off was homeless for a minute until I got enough for an apartment.

You'd think that me moving out and being homeless instead of living with them would be the thing that made things click.

No. About a year after my move out. I'd reconnected with my family and agreed to take my mom to her aerobics class one day since her car was in the shop.

Well I drive about ten minutes before she lays into me about my life choices etc. I pulled the car over looked at her and said. "Get out" she looked stunned. I just repeated myself and added "Now."

She got out. I drove off to my apartment played some CSGO and she got her much needed exercise.
121points

Mother of three Vicki Broadbent, who is an award-winning TV broadcaster and the woman behind the family lifestyle blog Honest Mum, says the way you raise your children will evolve and change as they grow in age.

"On average, children begin to reason around the age of 5-7, and they tend to become more complex thinkers during adolescence," she tells Bored Panda. "Treat each child individually based on their personality. But understand they are not adults, so they won't think as you do."

To strike a balance between providing your children with guidance and allowing them space to experience life on their own, you have to "manage your own expectations of your child and what is age-appropriate when it comes to giving them greater independence. My eldest son, for example, would walk to and from school earlier than my second son, as each one differed in maturity. Giving your children greater independence as they grow is an important right of passage, as long as it doesn't put them in danger," the mother shares.

#2

30 Terrifying Examples Of Helicopter Parenting People Shared In This Viral Thread
Growing up with very strict, fundamentalist southern baptist parents, along with being the oldest and the only girl was quite a trip. Things got really crazy when I hit puberty, around 11 or 12...

*I was not allowed to wear anything other than skirts and dresses that went below my knee

*My mom picked out my clothes for me until the 11th grade

*I was not allowed to date or even be alone with boys (jokes on my parents, I've had a girlfriend for years under their nose)

*No music was allowed in the house besides SOME contemporary Christian and hymns (This REALLY killed me because I LOVE music and anytime I had CDs or merch, my parents would burn them and call it the devil's music)

*I was not allowed to have a phone or use the internet until I moved out

* I was not allowed to watch TV by myself, even at 16, 17, years of age

*I could only read approved books from the christian section of the library and the Bible (of course)

*I did LOTS of chores

*Doors were not allowed to be closed, except for at night when my parents locked me in my room

*My parents handled all my money and used it as they pleased

* I could only have friends over, I was never allowed to go anywhere

*I was subject to full body and room searches at anytime, including my journals and other personal things

How do I deal with them now? After I moved out I came out as gay and agnostic, dyed my hair blue, got several piercings, BOUGHT A PHONE, and listened to whatever the f***k I wanted too (mostly punk/emo/metal). My parents still visit me and try to got through my things or question me about all the "satanic" band symbols on my walls, and recently my mom went through my medicine cabinet, but I have found that a respectful but firm "No" and a reminder that I am an adult now always helps. I pick and choose my battles, though, because I have younger siblings and I still want to have a relationship with them, something my parents have tried to take away many times.
93points

#3

30 Terrifying Examples Of Helicopter Parenting People Shared In This Viral Thread
Still live with parents. i avoid their invasive questions but am pretty honest about every thing i do choose to share with them. my siblings and i are whole adults so they try to be less insane these days.

funny (i guess) story though - the other day my sister and i were watching pulp fiction and my dad waltzed in our room, stared at the tv for a second and goes, "that movie is for grownups"
my sister said, "i'm 25".
76points

"Judging what is right for one child is more of an art form than a science," Vicki Broadbent adds. "Start slowly."

"When it came to my younger son, he started taking shorter walks with his older brother at first, until he proved I could trust him to walk for longer with his friends and even solo."

"I follow the Montessori Method when it comes to raising my children, which supports them to make their own choices, learn and develop at their own pace. This fosters independence, self-worth and confidence. Starting from an early age, it involves the child in the adult's life, encouraging them to help with chores and make decisions but in a safe way," she explains.

#4

30 Terrifying Examples Of Helicopter Parenting People Shared In This Viral Thread
I started standing up for myself and telling them off but I also struggle with being self-sufficient, especially with ADHD, so it's a vicious cycle. Especially when I can't afford to move out.

Standing up for things they don't agree with is pretty useless. I got yelled at for politely requiring consent every time my mom logs into my university (!!!!) student email/account to "help me manage my stuff", plus she doesn't even do it when she grudgingly agreed after she was done being offended. I remember her announcing to me over dinner she had gone in my account and enrolled me in a class for my bachelor's without asking me first while I was away at school. As an adult this makes me very uncomfortable.

Edit: f**k it you guys are right I'm changing my password live. I will get yelled at soooooooooooo bad but worth it.
66points

#5

30 Terrifying Examples Of Helicopter Parenting People Shared In This Viral Thread
My dad was never a helicopter parent, he was actually the complete opposite. My mom was a super helicopter parent. When I was a sophomore in high school I got grounded from “everything”. I couldn’t go anywhere or do anything. I had to go to school and come home. I couldn’t watch tv unless it was about God. I didn’t have a phone, or computer, and couldn’t listen to music. For months. It got worse and worse as time went on. She would give me a curfew randomly one day and it would be different the next day. I would get in trouble for not following a curfew I had no idea existed. She gaslighted me so much that I often felt like I deserved what was happening to me. After going to therapy I am better able to identify her abusive & bipolar tendencies. I’m working on minimizing contact with her. So, whenever she’s being a pain in my a*s I just tell her to f**k off.
61points

According to research published by the American Psychological Association, children with helicopter parents may be less able to deal with the challenging demands of growing up.

Children who cannot regulate their emotions and behavior effectively are more likely to act out in the classroom, to have a harder time making friends and to struggle in school, says Nicole B. Perry, PhD, from the University of Minnesota, and lead author of the study.

#6

30 Terrifying Examples Of Helicopter Parenting People Shared In This Viral Thread
When I was a child my mother went to "drop me off" at a sleepover, she ended up sleeping on their couch, then waking us all up at 4 AM and demanded that I leave with her, because "her accommodations weren't up to standard"


I ended up joining the navy.
59points

#7

30 Terrifying Examples Of Helicopter Parenting People Shared In This Viral Thread
Unfortunately, the helicopter behavior continued after I got married and had children. Eventually, the only way to gain control was to go no contact.

Edit: Fundamentally it boiled down to a complete lack of respect for boundaries. My happiness, marriage, and ability to be a good parent were all suffering because my mother was still trying to control my life. We tried setting up boundaries, but that only escalated things. I would have gladly gone to family counseling if she agreed, but it was far easier for her to complain to her friends that her children don’t speak to her. (Yes, my brother cut her off too.)

I strongly recommend the following books: Stop Walking on Eggshells (by Paul Mason) and Boundaries (by Henry Cloud). I also very strongly recommend counseling.
58points

#8

30 Terrifying Examples Of Helicopter Parenting People Shared In This Viral Thread
I'm 7 months pregnant and my mom had effectively bubble wrapped me as a child and stunted my social skills quite harshly growing up. My mom keeps trying to insert herself into my doctor's appointments and barge into my house when my nursery furniture arrived (though she paid for it). My husband and I simply avoid telling her things and firmly try to explain to her that she can't throw a tantrum when she doesn't get her way and if she keeps at it she will be ejected from our life.
51points

Perry and her team followed the same 422 kids over the course of eight years and assessed them at ages 2, 5 and 10. The children in the study were predominantly white and African American and from economically diverse backgrounds. Data were collected from observations of parent-child interactions, teacher-reported responses and self-reports from the 10-year-olds.

Children need parents who are sensitive to their needs, who recognize when they are capable of managing a situation and who will guide them when situations become too challenging.

Managing your emotions and behavior are fundamental skills that we simply need to learn, and according to Perry, overcontrolling parenting limits those opportunities. Sadly, as we can see from the submissions, not everyone gets it (or is self-aware enough to realize that they don't).

#9

30 Terrifying Examples Of Helicopter Parenting People Shared In This Viral Thread
My husband deals with this with his mother. We make decisions as a married couple then later every thing changes after they talk to each other. Even situations dealing with our daughter, like I have no say even when he and I were on the same page before decisions were put into action. He is so desperate to please his mom he turns his back on me. When I confront him he blames me for causing drama or being petty. IDK his mom acts like she is his wife and he lets it happen. It grosses me out.
51points

#10

30 Terrifying Examples Of Helicopter Parenting People Shared In This Viral Thread
My mother made my bank accounts, insurances, even my mobile phone contract when I was underage and just kept them. (I also think she stole money from me but that's another story). She said I wasn't able to manage this kind of stuff by myself. With the help of my SO I took everything back from her when I was 26. When I visited her she tried to pressure me into stuff again, so I threatened her that I would pack my stuff and leave immediately and that she would never see me or talk to me ever again in her life. These two things were kind of wake-up calls for her. Now she is so afraid that I could really go No Contact that she keeps her stupid mouth shut.
50points

#11

My step father was a HeleParent not so much my mother. He was overbearing and stern. He was a teacher at my school in addition to the authority figure at my house hold. Double trouble. He is text book narcissist. My mother was very trusting to the point that I was self sustaining by a young age 10-13. Made my own meals laundry, cleaned etc. When my mother remarried to this Dingus my world was flipped. Bed times, certain academic criteria, all autonomy was stripped and policed. Meals were decided for me, my color clothing and brand of apparel.

He had the same attitude towards my mother (and still does). At 18 I bailed and kept contact to a strict holiday/funeral/birthday minimum. I was paying for my own college and this c**k sucker threatened to cut off communication to my mother from me if I didn't abide by his collegiate courses.

Fast forward 10 years I did what I needed to necessary and obtained a degree in a field I wanted. He and my mother had a falling out and I was in a position to help her. She stayed with me for several weeks while they worked things out. This built up his resentment towards me even more as I took away any leverage he had over us.

The icing on the 🍰. While my mother was with us my wife and I had our 2nd daughter. The day she was born, we were in the hospital, he showed up to my home and picked a fight while my mother watched our pets (2 Dogs if anyone's interested). I still have the ring video if anyone wants to see it. When we got home a few days later, he showed back up. This time he forced his way into my house. This was his big f**k up. I still smile when I remember the pain in my shins from kicking his legs out from underneath him and the 'ting' sound my aluminum bat made when knocked his ribs with one good wack. He left, no cops needed as he knew he'd be f****d for breaking and entering. Now he keeps his distance like the s**t stain he is and wouldn't have it any other way.
49points

Vicki Broadbent believes that if you want to keep yourself in check and not become too controlling, empathy is key. "Remember how you felt yourself as a child, tween, or teen and the struggles you might have faced with your own parents or carers and how you might differ in your approach as a parent," she suggests.

"Open discussion is also vital. I would explain to my son why I didn't feel he was ready to walk to school, so he understood my thought process. That gave him the chance to ask me to trust him, and together we created a plan of 'small steps' where we built towards the goal of him walking to and from school with his friends."

#12

30 Terrifying Examples Of Helicopter Parenting People Shared In This Viral Thread
I stick to food and the weather. I never share my life details because I know they’ll criticise me and put the blame on me or tell me what to do even though they have no experience in whatever I’m going through. My mum is not my friend, she’s not someone I trust, who I would share my thoughts and feelings with because she would either tell me what I should be doing or feeling or just criticise me.

My mum used to control me to the point that she stunted my social development. I wasn’t allowed to go to my friends houses, I couldn’t go to sleepovers, I could only go out with my friends during school holidays only when high school began. When I needed to use the internet or phone I would have to ask permission and justify why I needed to use it and when we were using the phone or computer she would check on us every 15 minutes or so to verify that it’s homework related or to kick us off if she thinks we’re taking too long. I was never allowed to play computer games, she also never bought us any games or magazines - said they were a waste of time and money.

When I moved to another city for university I went “wild”. I’d buy trays of eggs every week and eat more than one a day because they’re my favourite food (she restricted my egg intake because she thinks they give you high cholesterol levels. I would sleepover at friends places, I’d have ice cream for breakfast, I’d stay up until 2am watching movies and playing games. I mean, my grades weren’t great but I had fun for the first time in my life during my first year at university.
48points

#13

30 Terrifying Examples Of Helicopter Parenting People Shared In This Viral Thread
My parents weren't *that* bad, but they were quite over-protective. After I turned 21, I still wasn't allowed out after dark and all that jazz. Had to let them know where I was going and who I was seeing in case I was murdered. What I did was move to another continent. I talk to them every couple of weeks over Whatsapp voice chat. They try and tell me what to do sometimes and I'm just like "ok" and don't do it.

Edit: I'm white British and moved to the US when I was 24.

Edit edit: last I checked in with them, my parents had agreed that my mum is no longer allowed out into the front garden without my dad "because of all the blacks moving in", if you want any more context on them 🙃.
44points

#14

30 Terrifying Examples Of Helicopter Parenting People Shared In This Viral Thread
I ended up having to remove my parents from my life and at first it was really hard. But seriously they've controlled every aspect of it. When I was a kid my internet time was limited and supervised, i was allowed like an hour a day on electronics. I wasnt allowed to play any violent video games, I really only played Mario kart. I wasnt allowed to play pokemon because it had evolution in it. I wasnt allowed to read Harry Potter because it was magic and magic is bad. They decided which college I went to when I was 18. They decided which degree I got. When I was struggling to find work they pushed me to go into a field I didnt want to, which I am now stuck in.

When I was sick as well it was really rare I went to the doctor. At one point I was dying from a bad case of pneumonia and they refused to hospitalize me even though I was almost dead (quite literally.) My lungs were full of fluid and my oxygen level was running at 82%. Even on oxygen that number didnt go up.

Once I moved out of my house, I started to talk to them less until last year I finally just decided to cut them off. Talking to them gave me anxiety and they always tried to steer my life a different direction, so I figured it was better to cut them off compeltely. At first it was hard but it's gotten easier over time.
43points

Broadbent says that children aged 8-10 tend to start wanting more independence, so you have to know that it's normal and formative for them to start pulling away from you (to an extent) as they learn who they are and begin to prioritize friends over parents.

"Films like Inside Out (one and two) are informative and reassuring when it comes to the changes children and teens experience physically and psychologically and how that will impact your relationship with them," she says. "Being open and empathetic as a parent is imperative. It is your job to guide, teach and keep those kids safe, but being open about your thinking process involves your child and helps them in turn to become empathetic too."

#15

30 Terrifying Examples Of Helicopter Parenting People Shared In This Viral Thread
My brother and I had no free time allowed growing up, just music and homework allowed. Age 30+, my dad has passed away now (he was never the problem) but my mom still does her best to control our lives, inserting herself into situations she doesn't belong, and passive aggressively putting us in situations that she wants to happen. But cutting her off or telling her she's overstepping makes us "the bad ones" in her mind, so minimal contact and details are all that's on the menu for her from me now. 🤷‍♂️ My brother doesn't get it though, giving her minute details and then getting annoyed when she thinks she can have a say in how he lives his life.
37points

#16

30 Terrifying Examples Of Helicopter Parenting People Shared In This Viral Thread
Went No Contact with my helicopter mom in May of 2018. I was 25.

She sent me bi-weekly emails trying to talk to me. Texted me random things like a photo of her cat, from her phone and her husband's phone.

Her last email consisted of her telling me she was going to come over to my house and if I wasn't there, she was going to come to my work to find me. A week after that email, I packed up everything and moved 1200 miles away without telling her. She messaged a "woe is me" sob story to my SO's mom about how "worried" she is because she "can't find me". Still talks to her to this day.

Then on this past Saturday, she calls my job and says, "Hi Switched, this is mom." I hung up immediately and am now seriously searching for jobs. I don't care what it is, I need to change jobs NOW.

I'd get a restraining order but she is *just* out of the legal requirement for stalking. A lawyer laughed at me when I asked them if I can have one.

edit: A week after, not 5 days. She sent me that email on June 21st and I bounced on June 28th.
36points

#17

30 Terrifying Examples Of Helicopter Parenting People Shared In This Viral Thread
Not me but my wife.

My MIL is a huge helicopter parent. She calls my wife several times a day about the most minor things. It's my wife's fault for picking up but she has been conditioned by years of guilting.

It sucks, has impacted our marriage, caused a number of arguments, and has caused me to have a serious dislike of my mother in law.

Edit: and we have a kid now so things are much worse than there were before. She's now a helicopter grandparent that acts like she is entitled to see my child. She throws little pity party tantrums if she goes more than a few days without seeing my daughter. She tries to tell us how to do absolutely everything and always has some 2¢ to throw into our choices. I'm a stay at home dad and my wife is a teacher so we don't need her help or advice. One nice nugget of advice was that we didn't need to tell my daughter she was black (I'm black, my wife is white).

My only sanity saver was that she lived 30-40 minutes away (she just moved closer) and that we got into a huge fight where I and my mother told her what we thought of her. There was a lot of yelling and crying that night. I stopped making any kind of effort to have a nice relationship with her and she is uncomfortable being around my mother.
29points

#18

30 Terrifying Examples Of Helicopter Parenting People Shared In This Viral Thread
I came here from the Soviet Union when I was 7, and my parents were super over-protective and assumed the worst out of every situation, probably due to trauma from what life was like over there. I wasn't allowed to have a sleep over at any friend's house. Getting anyone to come over to my house basically required them to have a background check. I never got any privacy, because between my parents and grandparents, someone was home 100% of the time. I wasn't allowed to go on longer field trips (like the school trip to DC, and an elementary school to Medieval Times). Most school trips I did go on, my mom insisted on chaperoning. I got my first taste of freedom when I got a driver's license and a car. I could make up little white lies about where I was and driving allowed me to go wherever I wanted. When I got to college, I made sure to live on campus and not at home, despite going to a school in-state. My mom tried calling/stalking me every single day, and I just decided enough was enough. I didn't answer the phone for 2 months, and even though my mom is still way too helicopter-ish, it has been much better since then. Back at home, since I was a kid, I wasn't allowed to have a game console, but I was allowed to have basically unlimited use of the computer -- so I spent most of my time messing with it, and being on the Internet. I became active on a bunch of web forums, learned how to code, how to use Linux, etc... since I wasn't allowed to do much in the real world. I ended up majoring in IT, eventually getting a job in technology on a winning Presidential campaign, then at Amazon working on cloud computer, and I now travel the world for this job, so all things considered, it turned out pretty well in the end.
29points

#19

30 Terrifying Examples Of Helicopter Parenting People Shared In This Viral Thread
My parents weren't. But a friend moved to a different state and got engaged and my friend's mom still managed to be a helicopter parent. Visiting at least 3 times a month and contacting either her or her SO constantly. It ruined the engagement because the SO finally had enough because even though my friend was annoyed with her mom as well, she couldn't cut her mom off completely... Idk all the details but it must have been superrr annoying if someone was like "I love you, but f**k having in-laws like this." She is now single and has moved back home. It's unfortunate...
28points

#20

30 Terrifying Examples Of Helicopter Parenting People Shared In This Viral Thread
My parents track my location at all times now. (I’m 27) . That way they don’t call the cops if I don’t pick up within 30 min....which has happened multiple times ...
28points
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