While the nation's public schools are busily devising ways to get parents more involved in education, colleges are seeing a boom in parents who are too involved, and dubbing them, "helicopter parents:"
Some people say the phenomenon is related to a baby-boom generation of involved parents who have been organizing their children's lives since infancy. And when their babies go off to college, some parents are unable to deal with the empty nest.
One of the names applied to them is "helicopter parents," who hover over campus and their children - mostly during their freshman year.
"I've talked to some students in this community whose parents moved here to be close to their child," said Mike Rollo, UF's associate vice president for student affairs....He said privacy laws that generally prevent parents from seeing their college students' grades also may contribute to more parental involvement....Rollo said he has seen cases in which parents demand a student's PIN so they can access their grades.
...perhaps most significant to the boom in parental involvement, some say, is technology. Cell phones, instant-messaging and other technological advances allow parents and students to be in almost constant touch.
"I have friends whose moms call them two and three times a day to check on them and see what they're doing," said Anthony Huereca, 21, a UF senior from Tampa who plans to graduate in May with a degree in computer engineering. "Sometimes when they see it's their mom, they ignore the call."
While any educator would be happy to see parents who obviously care how their children do in school, college administrators also want to point out that there can be too much of a good thing:
Resnick said some parents are reluctant to let their college students learn how to make their own choices, and mistakes. They feel that as parents they need to have a strong say in their children's academic and other decisions, she said.
"That can interfere with a student's development," she said. "Running a student's life and making all the decisions does not allow the student to develop good judgment and learn to manage and transition to young adulthood."
Blansett, who also is an appeals officer for UF's housing division, said they have had to ask students to turn off their cell phones during petition meetings. "A student comes in to talk to us, and a parent calls during the meeting and wants to be part of the appeal," she said. "We welcome parental involvement, but our challenge is to take that force and make it a positive force good for the parent and student."
I went to an undergrad university in my hometown; my freshman dorm was within walking distance of my mom's office, my stepfather's office, and my sister's office. While this arrangement was spiffy whenever I needed money or a trip to the doctor's office, I never felt I was being "hovered over," and my parents did their level best to leave me alone and let me get on with my life.
Posted by kswygert at January 24, 2005 09:25 AM