Karen Wang
My Top Ten Reasons For Being a Notorious Helicopter Parent
My name is Karen, and I’m a notorious helicopter parent. 
If you see my son, you'll also see me nearby: volunteering for lunch duty at school, riding a double tube on the waterslide at the city rec center, on my bike in the neighborhood, in the driveway shoveling snow, in line at the post office.
Special Parenting Tactics Required
Special needs sometimes require special parenting tactics. Of course I know that I’m stepping outside our cultural norm. But I don’t believe that I fit the definition of “overprotective,” since I have valid safety concerns based on past experience. The blogger Autism Daddy recently wrote about how he’s accepted the fact that he can never take his eyes off his son for a minute due to safety concerns.
When possible, I do step back, but I am always ready to step in for a reality check. I use all of those helicopter moments to teach safety awareness or a specific life skill, and these efforts have gradually paid off with fewer incidents over the years. I’ve also learned how to channel that energy and intense interests into more productive, less dangerous activities. As soon as I learned that the middle school track team was "no-cut," I signed up my son.
Why I am a Helicopter Parent
[caption id="attachment_16362" align="alignright" width="322"]
Used with permission from This Ausome Family[/caption]
Inspired by a post from This Ausome Family, here are my top ten reasons for being an infamous, unapologetic helicopter parent.
1. Cribs, high chairs, car seats and playpens could not contain him, even when buckled correctly. He started running when he was 9 months old...straight into the street every time.
2. People seem to love giving him candy - at the bank, at stores, at school, at doctors’ offices - but leave the scene as soon as the artificial colors in the candy produce their predictable effect on his behavior.
3. Little Houdini learned to undo the doorknob baffler on the first try before he was one year old. Deadbolts were a piece of cake for him.
4. He started moving furniture to reach things on top shelves and unlock the high deadbolt on the front door by the time he was 3 years old.
5. He loves waterfalls and climbing fences and he’s not afraid of heights. He also likes fire and knives.
6. He has a tendency to approach strangers and make surprising comments.
7. Sometimes when we’re riding bikes, he’ll suddenly stop paying attention and fall on one side like a lead balloon.
8. His only broken bone was caused by an accident in gym class. No broken bones or concussions on my watch, and I plan to maintain that record.
9. Water bottle caps and other small objects have been pulled out of his mouth, even at age 12.
10. The buck stops here...unless you’re offering to babysit.
Tell us why you are a helicopter parent in the comments below!
