Helicopter Parents: A Nation of Enablers Raising A Nation Of Enablers

Absolutely unbelievable article I read in the Times recently.  It’s called “Preschoolers in Surgery for a

Mouthful of Cavities”

Apparently, there are now enough people forgetting to show their own preschool-aged children to brush their teeth… pediatric dentists are having to perform a new and apparently, fairly routine procedure.

See, so many kids aren’t brushing their teeth over long periods of time, that these kids – who are often less than 3 years old – have to be anesthetized, so they can have multiple root canals performed on them

at the same time — due to lack of proper dental care.

Now look, I realize we’re in the time of “Helicopter Parents.”  And in case you don’t know what that is… it’s a parent who’s constantly hovering over their child, because they’re so damn worried about every

little move the kids makes, and… they want to make sure everything that happens is in their control.

(So the kid doesn’t get hurt… offended… make a mistake, God forbid – and what have you.)

But what this basically does, is… when you enable someone to this extent — when you make sure every single thing they are doing, is so closely guarded… you actually wind up paralyzing them — mentally,

emotionally, and socially.

After all, we become who we are, by “doing.”  NOT by having others do stuff for us.

In fact, when you don’t get to do things on your own, you’re deprived of those wonderful feelings you get when you achieve — self-satisfaction, and pride of ownership.

Which of course, are two of the many critical components that make us successful.

Isn’t it nuts that these parents are SO self-absorbed and busy with their own lives… they actually “forget” to tell their kids to brush their teeth.

This doesn’t even seem possible.  If I wasn’t reading it, I wouldn’t ever believe this could happen.

But yes, it’s happening — right now as we’re speaking.

Look, I’ve been a parent for almost 22 years now, raising three children.  And Lord knows I’ve made a LOT of mistakes along the way.

But how is this possible to not show your kids how to brush their teeth?  To not sit down on the edge of the bathtub with them, and help them learn how to take care of themselves?

You know how much fun this is, as a parent — not to mention how important it is for your child?

Isn’t this embarrassing, that you could “forget” to do this?

I realize, in doing this, you deprive yourself of the satisfaction of being able to run around telling your friends you spent $5 Grand to have preventable oral surgery performed on your toddler.

And, to hold the both of you out as victims.

But maybe that’s the problem for me.  Maybe… since I didn’t have the extra $5K when my kids were young… I just missed out on this “opportunity.”

Well, thankfully, this is an experience I’ll get to miss.

What are your thoughts?  Let me know, and… have a great weekend.

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

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