A helicopter parent (also called a cosseting parent or simply a cosseter) is a parent considered overattentive and overly fearful for their child, particularly outside the home and at educational institutions. Helicopter parents are so named because, like helicopters, they "hover overhead", overseeing every aspect of their child's life. A helicopter parent is also known to strictly supervise their children in all aspects of their lives, including in social interactions. The term originally gained popularity regarding the behaviour of parents towards their adult children; however, in recent years, the use of term has expanded to cover parenting practices at increasingly younger ages.
Etymology
The simile appeared as early as 1969 in the bestselling book Between Parent & Teenager by Dr. Haim Ginott, which mentions a teenager who complains: "Mother hovers over me like a helicopter..."
The term "helicopter parent" has been in use since the late 1980s. It subsequently gained wide currency when American academic administrators began using it in the early 2000s as the oldest...