Enter the Helicopter parent Parents these days want t o control every aspect of a child?s life ? from friendships and hobbies to job interviews ? stifling his ability to make decisions Veenu Sandhu / New Delhi Sep 08, 2012, 00:18 IST ........The extent of helicopter parenting may vary from mild to extreme but it often proves to be counterproductive, say counsellors and child psychologists. For example, when a class of eight-year-olds from Delhi went on a picnic, the parents of one child followed the bus in their car. They may have done this simply out of extreme concern for their child, given that newspapers are flooded with reports of accidents during school trips. To the child, however, this sends out a different message — that his parents perhaps do not trust him and this exposes him to the mockery of his peers. Some children, say psychologists, might also feel reassured that their parents are always there for them. Such messages take root and the child does not lear...