As my daughter prepares for her high school graduation on Monday, I’ve spent a lot of time asking myself what kind of parent I’ve been over the years. 

Was I, what some parenting experts call, a “helicopter parent?”  Apparently this is a term associated with baby boomers---describing us as parents who hover over every aspect of their child’s life and have a hard time letting go.  According to an article in USA Today most helicoptering is by mothers who are hyper-involved with their sons' lives and fathers are more likely to use strong-arm tactics to get results. The article also suggested that as many 70% of parents may be involved in some kind of helicoptering behavior.

OK, so tell me, what good parent isn’t concerned about their child’s welfare?  Don’t we have a right to stick our noses in their business, especially if they need help and don’t know it?  Don’t you agree that some young adults need guidance when it comes to their futures---like choices for college?  As a matter of fact, according to a 2007 study by the National Survey of Student Engagement, students whose parent frequently intervened in problems were more engaged on a number of measures.  Those students report higher satisfaction, more deep learning activities and greater gains on desired outcomes such as learning on their own and learning to work with people from different backgrounds.

So now that you can admit that you might be a helicopter parent, the question is what type are you: 

The Gunship Helicopter: This type of parent swoops down and fights battles for their young adult. This is typically the helicopter parent that school administrators and employers find the least helpful.

The Traffic Helicopter: This parent provides guidance for their young adult, and helps direct them to make appropriate decisions throughout their lives. The difference between this helicopter and the gunship helicopter is that the traffic helicopter ultimately allows the student to drive their own journey.

The Rescue Helicopter: The function of this kind of parent is to either pull their young adult out of a crisis situation and bring them to safety, or bring supplies to help get them back on their feet.