By Arelys Morales Conty/campus editor
College is the first time some students have academic freedom, creating a period of time that allows for a lot of growth in preparation of adulthood.
Growing up, it’s good for parents to make decisions for their kids, but as high school ends and college begins, that changes. Most parents allow their child to delve into the real world little by little, but some don’t. These are called helicopter parents.
Children with helicopter parents grow up to be adults with inhibitions and anxiety, which can spell disaster for these students because they may depend more on others and have a harder time with responsibility, according to a Washington Post article.
These students’ parents will often speak and make big decisions for them because they don’t want them to fail. But there is a remedy for this situation.
Students can start by communicating with their parents about how they feel and how it’s time to allow them more freedom and the chance to succeed and/ or fail on their own. Students need to explain to their parents the need to grow and learn in the real world rather than the soft, pillowy world they’ve created for their children.
Parents may see their over-involvement as helpful, but they need to know that college is a time for their children to learn responsibility and many other life lessons that will be vital for success moving forward. Not to mention it’s necessary for them to learn to get by on their own because their parents won’t last forever and living without them is an inevitable part of life. If they don’t learn to be self sufficient now, adulthood will only get harder.
It’s also important to keep in mind that helicopter parents are overprotective because they don’t want to see their children fail and they may feel like they’re being pushed away, but that’s not what is happening. You can convince them of this by explaining how much better off you will be if they can let go and give you the freedom to learn, grow and fail.
Parents want their children to succeed, but failure is a part of that process. The sooner they figure that out, the sooner you’ll be on your way to becoming an adult that can succeed in the real world.
