5 Ways Helicopter Parents Can Affect You

Nowadays, many teenagers feel that their parents are being too overprotective and suffocating. Helicopter parenting is a term used to describe how some parents pay extremely close attention to a child’s life, to the point of controlling many of the child’s experiences and knowledge. One may argue that doing this will allow the child to grow up safely. Yet, there are adverse consequences of not letting children experience life for themselves. Do you relate to this topic? Is your parent a helicopter parent?

Previous videos: Parents & Anxiety

Written & Research by: Chau Nguyen
Animated by Intern: Celeste C.
Project managed by: Erin Bogo

Citations/References Go Here.

Ways To Support Us:

Buy from our shop here:

Use the discount code: psych2go to get 10% off anything in the shop.

Sign up with our sponsored link for affordable online counselling:

Intro: Surey Camacho

Project Manager: Wendy Hu
Community Manager: Priscilla Cha, Nicole Pridemore
Producer: Psych2Go

[Psychgo]

On our Tumblr, a follower asked about the effects of helicopter parenting. We recognize how important this topic could be because of the harm that a helicopter parent can cause, we decided to release this video a day early. Hope you find this video helpful and share it so that more awareness can be brought to the attention of bad or toxic types of parenting. But of course, there may or may not be right or wrong way of parenting, but we can agreed that some are more harmful than good on some level.

[Alex-cqeg]

Actually the situation is usually more complicated. If you even ever try to explain your parents that they are acting toxic, they won't understand and make you guilty for questioning their good intentions.

[moonlightaura]

"Talk to your helicopter parents about your frustrations."

The problem is when you try to speak but they always tell you:

We always know what's best.

[SudarIvan]

My overprotective parents actually taught me a pretty useful thing. They unintentionally taught me to lie perfectly lmao. Unfortunately, just recently I realized that out of 100% of what I tell them only 10-15% is true. Just afraid of telling them any true details of my life since 4th grade

[joytotheuniverse]

I can't even defend myself from my parents and once I start convincing them to let me loose a little, they start manipulating me to thinking that I'm wrong. How can I stop them from suffocating me?

[unicorn]

and my parents blame me because i can't make decisions...

[GigaChadh]

I bury my insecurity and loneliness with humor.

[romariosthillaire]

Haven't lived my teenage years to the fullest cause I was always sheltered and wasn't allowed to go anywhere. It's like they want you to do nothing but when you do nothing they get mad at you.

[jdturner]

I grew up overprotected. Now I have zero social skills, I don't really know who I am friends with and I literally have no idea what I want in life. Everything has been "Too dangerous" and now that I'm an adult, I have absolutely no idea what the hell I'm doing in life because everything has been done for me. Now I live a useless life filled with anxiety and depression. And for the most part I have almost literal hatred for my parents. Over protection creates a Man Child.

Because of this, if I ever do have a child, I feel like throwing them to the dogs with no sense of direction in life will hurt them shortly but make them invincible in the long run. They actually will get to experience danger and learn to strategize around it. Something I never was shown.

People who are overprotected have the easiest beginnings and the worst end.
People who had hardly any protection at all had the most difficult upbringings and the most inspiring ends.

[nightsky]

My mother thinks she knows everything.

[ajarofpickles]

Yeah I may or may not of grown up in a family like this. I totally missed out on my high school experience due to how coddled I was

[AlyLovesSleep]

Lmao my mom is so much up in my life. I love her, but it gets annoying. Even when I smile at my phone it's an instant "who are you texting?". I never had a social life either, my mom doesn't want me going to other of my peers homes, but also doesn't let me hang with them at our house then. It's really stunted my social life. I haven't hung out with anyone since last year.

[melaniepage]

I am 26, and I know that my parents have good intentions, but my adulthood has been a nightmare in regards to controlling and overprotective behavior from them. I struggle with extreme lack of confidence and sense of self. For so long, I have been afraid to do anything without their approval. I don't feel like I have any privacy with them, and I often am guilted/shamed into sharing every aspect of my life. This was a huge problem when I started dating (which I didn't even start until I was 23), because I was pressured into divulging how physically intimate I was with who I was dating (they were against it ((again, I was 23)) and wanted to control that choice of mine). I've just always felt intense pressure and judgement and shame from them regarding who I am talking to, friends with, or dating. Lots of skepticism. I am monitored and interrogated about my whereabouts. I started lying and hiding certain things because I couldn't stand it anymore. I feel awful about that though. I don't want to lie. I just want freedom of personal choice as an adult.

[celes]

How do you talk to your Helicopter parents when they refuse to acknowledge it? My parents are hardcore old fashioned Chinese and they don't believe in "depression" or "anxiety" in kids or me. And any kind of video they write off as "How can you believe it? It's on the internet."

I really want to have a good relationship with my parents but they're extreme Helicopter parents, and it's suffocating me.


Holy heck, this is like the first time I spoke on the internet and I'm overwhelmed with the amount of people replying. Thank you guys a ton.
The most I've learned to do is grit my teeth and endure it. I know it doesn't sound the best but my best friend told me good advice. Internalize it all and turn it into spiteful motivation. Once you're secure in your own life without the threat of being kicked out, talk to them. When you feel it turning into an argument, walk away. I hope this helps, I'm trying my best to follow it haha
Again, thank you all for sharing. It really helps to know there are other people out there unfortunately in the same situation. But we can help each other 👌

[artursanti]

I know someone whose mother literally controlls her entire life.

Her mom literally went with us to the cinema when we went all alone. She just won't leave her daughter alone.

[Dusk]

I too have helicopter parents. I have a very low self esteem and social anxiety. Growing up I thought studies was my main priority in life because studying was what my parents always forced me to do. At times I felt guilty of doing anything outside of studying. I hardly knew how to have fun. My childhood was boring.
Luckily I came across some friends who taught me that there's more to life than just studies. Having fun with my friends brought me far greater joy than getting good grades.
You live only once people.
Everyone deserves to be happy.
Our mental health is very important.

[tejaswinikasinadhuni]

Let me tell you how helicopter parenting affected me..
1) I turned into an antisocial, introverted geek.
2) I got low self esteem ( as mentioned )
3) I lost interest in everything ( like hanging out with people of opposite gender can make you confident and mentally stable. But I'm an exception. My parents won't allow me to do that. I'm starting to hate everything)
4) leave about the opposite gender, I'm not even allowed to talk much with my buddies or go to their homes.
5) I get offended again and again, I cry when no ones monitoring me.
RIP MYSELF

[guesswhoami]

You just summarised my life in 5 minutes
What do I do now?

[foxsmith]

I have a helicopter mother and a neglectful father, I understand why they are the way they are but I still can't help from feeling so much resentment toward them. I love them put they pretty much robbed me of a healthy early life. Now I suffer from chronic depression and social anxiety. I guess all we can do in the end is learn from their mistakes and try not commit the same ones with our own children in the future.

[NintendoNerdo]

I really wish my parents weren’t like this. I missed out on a lot as a teen and it shows in my now 20’s. I don’t understand anything about myself or most things. It’s a heavy thing to deal with.