'Parenting Out of Control'

From INSIDE HIGHER ED, 'Parenting Out of Control'


June 3, 2010 Discussion of -- and complaints about -- the rise of "helicopter parents," whose involvement in their children's lives lies somewhere between excessive and obsessive, has reached a fever pitch over the past few years. This is particularly true in academe, where professors charge that the trend contributes to the ignorance or laziness of today's students, while parents wonder how much is too much when it comes to guiding their collegiate offspring. Students, on the other hand, may not see the problem at all.

In her new book, Parenting Out of Control: Anxious Parents in Uncertain Times (New York University Press), Margaret K. Nelson explores the roots of helicopter parenting, or "parenting out of control," finding a strong correlation between parental involvement and social class. Parenting Out of Control discusses the strategies and goals common to various types of parents, and the consequences (both positive and negative) for their children, through college and beyond.

Click here to read the entire article: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/06/03/nelson