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Anya Kamenetz Generation Debt

Anya Kamenetz, Generation Debt

Attack of the Helicopter Parents

by Anya Kamenetz

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Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007, 12:00AM

Morley Safer raised the alarm bells for his fellow 70-somethings on "60 Minutes" earlier this month. "The millennials are coming!" he trumpeted in a typically damning segment that called our generation "narcissistic praise hounds."

This kind of unthinking condemnation of young people is neither new nor on target. In my experience as a frequent visitor to campuses across the country, young adults are confident, hardworking, pragmatic, and energetic. They are also highly social, have a global outlook, and are dedicated to service.

IMing Mom and Dad

One new tendency that does give them a bad rap, however, is the trend of frequent, even daily, contact by cell phone, email, and instant message with their "helicopter parents."

"My parents are divorced, so I talk to both of them at least once a day," says Christina Peters, a junior at Northern Michigan University. "They help me understand things that are going on with my life. I even ask my fiancé's mom about things to get her view on them."

Just like a chopper 50 feet overhead, overly concerned parents can be a noisy, disruptive force for young adults who are supposed to be learning to manage their own educations and lives.

This is a Generation Debt problem, because over-parenting may have negative consequences for young people while they're students and even worse effects when they graduate and start their first jobs. It may also have a Generation Debt explanation. Parents who are paying far more for their students' educations might be pushing a little too hard to try to get the return on their investment.

Researching the Phenomenon

Until now, there's been very little research on this phenomenon. But a few weeks ago, the National Survey of Student Engagement polled nearly 10,000 students at 24 schools on the topic, with results that surprised even the researchers. Seven out of 10 students reported that they were in contact with a parent or guardian "very often," usually the mother. Furthermore, one-quarter of freshmen -- and even 21% of seniors -- reported that their parents sometimes "intervened" in their educations in some way.

"The first surprise was that these students were not disadvantaged at all," says research director George Kuh, from  Indiana University. "They were as engaged or more engaged in college than their peers who were less closely connected, and they reported more satisfaction with the college experience."

But even though these highly attached students' self-assessments were very positive, Kuh found that they had "significantly lower grades." In other words, the students who talk to Mom and Dad every day aren't introverts with no friends and no activities, but they might be underachievers.

The weaker grades didn't surprise the professors I talked with. "I'm very familiar with the concept of helicopter parents," says Tom Grier, the information director at Winona State University in Minnesota. "For a small number of students, the hovering parent can be helpful. Perhaps the students with ADD need frequent, gentle reminders to stay on task. For most college students, however, the helicopter parent may do more harm than good. Part of the college experience is gaining independence, growing up, making adult decisions, and learning the consequences and trade-offs that emerge from each decision."

Grier says that some students turn up in his office tearful because their parents are applying too much scrutiny; some may even drop out of school.

Unimpressive Interventions

Professors, by and large, aren't impressed with so-called interventions by parents. Dr. Hope May, the director of the Center for Professional and Personal Ethics at Central Michigan University, had a student who always cut class and failed to even show up for the exam.

"His father called me and begged me to let his son take the exam. 'He has many problems,' blah blah," May says. "To which I replied, 'You are not helping him; you need for him to hit bottom and make a choice.' What was more disturbing is that this student's father is a professor!"

Even the best-educated parent can show poor judgment when it comes to his own kid. However, Kuh says what really surprised him about the survey results was that there was no parental-education effect. That is, first-generation college students were just as likely to speak with parents very often as the offspring of highly educated parents. But Kuh speculates that there may still be class differences in the kinds of conversations parents have with their students.

"Educated parents may be encouraging students to take full advantage of the college experience, which is something they understand well," he says. "First-generation parents may be talking more about money, how expensive this is. For many parents, sending a child to college may mean half of their income."

Even a well-off parent who's paying $40,000 a year might feel more pressured or entitled to make a little noise if the student isn't up to snuff. Just like an anxious investor calling her broker, this parent has got a lot riding on that student's performance.

May and Grier also both point out that it can be very difficult for parents to know just when to give encouragement and when to back off. Support that is necessary for a freshman, for example, may be overkill for a senior.

The irony is that parents who have the resources to do everything to help their young adults succeed may not really be helping as much as parents who, out of necessity, leave them to figure things out on their own.

"A lot of people from lower-middle-class backgrounds such as myself don't have the luxury of parents with the means to help them a whole lot after they go off to college," says Derek DeGraad, a senior at the State University of New York at Fredonia. "I can't relate well to some of these students whose parents take care of all their finances and banking for them and have a heavy hand in their academic choices.

"Maybe it's because my folks make a combined $30,000 a year and have their own finances to worry about. The more I can reassure them that I'm taking care of everything myself, the less stress I need to impose on them. They've done enough for me during my first 18 years."

This survey is just the beginning of inquiry into this topic. I'd like to see more of the negative stereotyping of millennials replaced with real research like this.

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159 Comments

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  • Yahoo! Finance User - Thursday, November 29, 2007, 4:42AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    she is getting worser every time she writes.

  • nisa - Wednesday, November 28, 2007, 4:45PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    I think its a great thing that parents are so involved in their children's lives. Is this something to actually gripe about or put alot of emphasis on? Really! There are far more important things to get ruffled about in personal finances!

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 10:02PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 2/5

    Loved the 60 minutes piece. I have been talking about this for 5 years now. I am 39 without children and cannot believe what I see from my friends and neighbors. The smothering of their children is unreal. Every moment of their lives is engineered and steered by Mom and Dad. I already see some of the results of this in the twenty somethings I work with. The sense of entitlement is incredible, alot of these kids don't seem to think they have to pay their dues. They are so used to getting whatever they want immediately without having to pay any price whatsoever. It really has turned the workplace into a total romper-room joke where nobody has the ability to make a decision.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 2:47PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 4/5

    It's all related to the concept of not letting kids' confidence and self-esteem fall too low. We can't let Jonny's self-image slip can we? That's just bad parenting! Remember the days when the stellar athlete or top student received the awards? Average kids were "average" and that was fine. Now you go to a track meet and they're giving out 10th place ribbons to kids that finish half a lap behind the pack. "Oh, look at my Jonny run! Isn't he great!". Stop micro-managing every minute of your kids' lives. Develop kids who can grow up to be great independent thinkers and doers, not those who cannot function if their Yahoo calendar isn't scheduled down to the second. I came from a very loving family, but I left home when I was 17 years old and never looked back. Paid my own way through college, parents didn't contribute a cent. Paid for my own masters degree. And now run my own business. And trust me, if one of my employees parents ever thought of calling the company complaining Jonny's work environment wasn't up to their standards... Hasn't happened yet, but these days nothing would surprise me.

  • Tim - Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 2:05PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 4/5

    I can sure tell that this article hit a raw nerve with a lot of people. Teaching responsiblity starts at a young age, not out the door to college. Helio-parents are the absolute worse when dealing with them. They are always right and their babies never do anything wrong. Then they wonder why their darlings have trouble in life and making decisions. Working in a middle school, I see the way these parents make life hard for the teachers. People, its ok to get track of what they do etc. but stop being helio-parents and make your kids grow up.

  • groblix - Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 1:43PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 2/5

    This article is edging dangerously close to Trunk-level dumbness.

  • Ark - Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 12:51PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 2/5

    First, second and even third generation parents from immigrants are very different from well-entrenched American families. Europeans and Asians can have three generations living together. What some see as Helicopters hovering may not understand the wisdom of other cultures who can actually see the quicksand of hundreds of modern pitfalls. Like usual pop culture complains about the generational gaps. It’s the stereotypical "brats" of modern times. In order to have fun they need to create as much trouble with their peers to feel vindicated in their actions. The Waltons show on TV is beyond pop culture or even some late genx comprehension.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 12:34PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 5/5

    Reading through these responses is flat out scary. Seems most people support helicopter parenting...good luck with that.

  • Herb - Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 9:21AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 4/5

    This is an interesting story which, if you look beyond the basic criticism of so-called helicopter parents, really shows that the current generation of parents truly care about their children. It seems to me that my parents (born in 1929 and 1930) were typical of their generation, that is to say, limited in their ability to think broadly, and incredibly negligent about how they raised their children. As a youngster, I was literally out of the house from dawn until dusk, and my parents had no idea where I was or what I was doing most of the time. My sense now is that I survived, got educated and thrived despite my parents, rather than as a result of anything that they did to nurture me. My wife's experience is much the same in that she grew up in a home where the parents focused all of their energies on their own personal problems and financial issues. Little time was left for the children. As a result of our common childhood experiences with our parents, my wife and I have watched over our two children closely in an attempt to make sure that they take responsibility for themselves and understand that the decisions they make as youngsters and young adults will follow them throughout their lives. Our hope has been to give them a leg up emotionally, educationally and financially, since these areas were seriously lacking in our own upbringings. That having been said, note that when our son went away to college, we were very, very clear to him about the fact that: (1) This is your one chance. You will not get another at our expense, (2) We are not going to manage your life or studies for you, and (3) It is not our responsbility to ruin our lives or go bankrupt for you. Our son has responded well to this clearly laid out set of limitations, and as a matter of fact, he has thanked us for spelling it out. Furthermore, he has not disappointed us. He handles all of his school and business affairs at this point. The story is absolutely correct in illustrating that if you never relinquish personal responsibility to your children, they will never be able to prove to you that they can handle it. We will take the same approach with our daughter when she goes away to school in a little under two years. We will give her what guidance that we can and what money we can spare, but we will cut her loose with the admonition that from here on in, her success will be basically up to her.

  • Charles - Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 8:42AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 5/5

    I have been worried that my granddaughter has been calling her mother too much. At least 3 times a day with info of no value, like "I'm now going to class and have a few minutes. I'm still feel a little bad with cough. Mom feels there is nothing she can do so why tell her these things blow by blow. I think gd is overdoing and will feel insecure when on her own and can't call Mom all day. Mom rarely calls her do to gd calling so much. Grades are good and she is a junior going into teaching.

  • S - Monday, November 26, 2007, 8:45PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    Dear Anya, Let me get this straight. People are giving you feedback on your generation that you don't like. Instead of delving into this possible misperception and helping with generational differences you totally blow your chance to be helpful. Let me sum up your response: With your deep level of wordly experience as 1 person in 280 million Americans with very little work and or real world experience, you are going to testify that these critics are TOTALLY wrong. Next you are going to proceed to BLAME SOMEONE ELSE for the perceptions of Millenmials. This would include the parents who are trying to do their best to provide for their children. I appreciate the reality some parents get in the way when they try to help, and also acknowledge that not every millenial isexactly the same as the stereotype but please consider this. Your purpose on these pages and your target audience are young. Young people come to your page for financial advice and the best you can give them is blame their parents? You just reinforced blaming someone else, a stereotypical behavior that Millenials have a reputation for. Way to defeat your own point! Stick to finacial advice please.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Monday, November 26, 2007, 4:57PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 5/5

    Following paragraph should be much closer to an article's beginning: "The irony is that parents who have the resources to do everything to help their young adults succeed may not really be helping as much as parents who, out of necessity, leave them to figure things out on their own."

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Monday, November 26, 2007, 3:24PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 3/5

    The part of college being so expensive is very true. That is the biggest problem. I am under 50 with a kid that did not finish at University of Souther California. I tried to check into the grades and was told I did not have access to these even though I was paying the bill and will be for a long time. College 20 years ago cost when I graduated was much less and scholarships we few and far between. In my opinion top universities are luring top notch students with scholarships. The average to above average student who choose to go these universities are paying the way for the top notch students. Go back to the old way. Everybody pays there on way! Tuition would be cheaper, less debt on family, and no Helicoptering Parents because pressure would be less for both student and parents.

  • A Fan - Monday, November 26, 2007, 2:14PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    I get this impression from Anya Kamenetz that she does not believe in what she writes.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Monday, November 26, 2007, 1:37PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    Why is this author still featured on this website?

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Monday, November 26, 2007, 12:01PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 4/5

    Generally solid article. I teach American lit at a university in Southern California and certainly have regularly seen how students often stay very connected with their parents--which, of course, isn't necessarily problematic, provided that parents recognize that their parental role is changing. Their children are now adults, and their parenting now must take on the role of enabling those children to succeed as adults. One thing Anya missed: in many cases, FERPA makes it against the law for professors to discuss students' grades with their parents. At least the government has some provisions to protect adult students' privacy (and, yes, college students are adults with the right to control who accesses their educational information, no matter who is paying tuition).

  • Bob - Monday, November 26, 2007, 10:19AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    Yeah, I shut down the helicopter when my child went off to college. The college claimed to have all these "checks & balances" to make sure students went to class, did the work, etc. Students will become self sufficient, learn from mistakes. Small school where Profs actually called the students when they didn't show up to class. Well, a bagfull of that BS cost me $35,000 and a wasted year of my students life as well as mine.

  • gbhsgbhs - Monday, November 26, 2007, 8:08AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 3/5

    I ran into this attitude when my oldest first enrolled in college. I quickly reminded the admissions person who was paying and the scene quickly changed. We parents realize independence does not happen overnight,like anything it's a growing process and entering college the first year is not and should not be an "independent" process. Freshmen especially need their parents' input, knowledge and personal experience until they learn to deal with the college environment and faculty mindset. Colleges need to realize "Family" doesn't end at age 18 and enrollment, it's a life long relationship, even years after college is ended and in the past. Family is what endures, college is just a detour.

  • Roger W - Monday, November 26, 2007, 6:37AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 5/5

    Let's face it, some things just don't change. It's tough to be a parent. Some things you do right and others you mess up. I have 2 sons and I'm no different. my wife and I help our kids out but we have allowed them to learn from their own mistakes. Here's a tip to "copter parents" , each one of us remembers his or her mistakes FOREVER!

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Sunday, November 25, 2007, 8:30PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 5/5

    Lady... It is not "CRITICAL!" that they get an internship. Life doesn't end if you don't get that precious internship in college. Your kids are going to have an impossible time with failure if they think that their lives have been CRITICALLY! damaged if they don't get a friggin internship. For chrissakes. Internships are next to worthless in the grand scheme of things... you say they're critical. CRITICAL!!! Although I don't doubt your a wonderful parent. (gawd knows you care enough.. and that makes you better than many), be carefull you aren't giving your kids massive anxiety issues. If you indoctrinate your kids with the living philosophy that every single little stepping stone that can be marginally beneficial (i.e. internships) is CRITICAL!, then they're going to have control issues and difficulty dealing with the inevitable dissappointments/curveballs that life throws them. Just look at the all-capitalized words in your post. you say you HAVE TO make sure your kids are doing EVERYTHING so that they're FIRST at this or that because it's CRITICAL!!!!!... I can just feel the anxiety coming off your post.... At what point do you relinquish a little control to the kids... allow them to fail without crippling guilt... allow them to be human for chrissakes?

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Sunday, November 25, 2007, 7:12PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 4/5

    This is a VERY interesting topic, having a high school freshman daughter and a 5th grader I can honestly say I am GUILTY! To speak to ahearndenis - I have been left to 'MANAGER' my childs education because unfortunately the schools they way they are, WE HAVE TO. I am my child's "Counselor" at school - I am doing the research to see what college's require and ensure my child is doing EVERYTHING needed, ie - ranking in the top 15%, taking AP classes, being involved in school activities, volunteering to ensure she will get into the college of her choice, her high school councelors don't have the same vested interest as her parents do. My daughter will be the FIRST to go to a 4 year college out of high school (Lord willing) - I didn't have the option to go that she does, neither did her father. Though we have both done well and have professional careers, it's a different ball game now. I know this because I am a Corporate Recruiter for a fortune 100 company. If I wasn't there to guide her, how would she know it's CRITICAL, I mean absolutely CRITICAL she take interning positions while in college. We are in a financial position to pay for our childrens college education - HOWEVER - we are only paying for their room and board, they will be repaying their college tuition/books/fee's. We personally feel our children need to have a financial stake in this as well (some skin in the game) to succeed. I'm interested in continue hearing more on this topic........

  • Jesse - Sunday, November 25, 2007, 4:40PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 4/5

    makeAnyya, beside being beautiful, you are correct - almost totally correct. I'm 83 and in general I feel that there are lots of terrific young people around both on campuses and full time employed. My bias makes me feel that there are also a goodly number of young folks that I can not respect and I find an adequate number of all ages. I do sincerely believe that folk who were fortunate enough to be alive during the depression of the 30's were especially blessed because of values developed.

  • Aidan - Sunday, November 25, 2007, 10:04AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 4/5

    Listen, these parents are practiced at this. I was a middle school and high school teacher for several decades. All of this "helicopter" madness got its start in the public schools back in the early Ninties when admiinistrators decided that parents were astute educational theorists. They "advocated" for their sweet offspring from kindergarten thru senior year...is it any wonder why these educational Frankensteins simply moved onto to the university level and beyond? They are a vicarious lot. They embrace the anthemn that their children are a diect reflection of themselves. Therefore, their children must be coddled and protected from reality lest the results of such an encounter be less pleasant than what hoped for. It is going to get worse before it gets better. This is nothing more that an extension of all the excuse programs instituted over the last thirty years to exonerate people from their mistakes and flaws. We now reap what we have sown. Build landing pads 'cause these creatures are not going to go away any time soon.

  • Brian - Sunday, November 25, 2007, 9:39AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 5/5

    I see this same behavior at the bank. College kid racks up overdraft chargessincethey don't know how to balance a checkbook, and mom or dad comes in to beg for rebates.

  • Wendy - Sunday, November 25, 2007, 12:21AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 5/5

    I am glad to read an article that afirms the method of parenting that I have been using for some time now. I have three boys age 13, 15, and 16 who have all made honor roll first quarter this year. We have been living below the poverty level for four years due to my husband becoming disabled, and our one cell phone often sits forgotten when we leave the house. Our boys have been raised to know that they will be expected to get out on thier own when they are done with school. We have left them to deal with more and more of thier life on thier own. Our big boys need an ocasional nudge, but we know that they are nearly adults, and we treat them with the respect and expectations that go with adulthood a lot of the time. We have never pushed for grades. We do not buy, bribe, or even demand the A's and B's we get. We praise the good grades, and we have scolded quite a few D's and even a few F's, but we always let them know that thier grades are much more important to them than they are to us. We let them know that how they do in school could be the diffrence between the life they want, and the life we have now. I think to many parrents are not really even planing for thier kids to leave home now days. They fight tooth and nail to keep thier little sweetheart under thier wing, and in doing so they create people who are less able to stand on thier own. I guess that is the result of having just one or two children to dote on. I hope we do not get that way with our Five year old, because we will certianly be to old to take care of him when he is 30.

  • AHAZ - Saturday, November 24, 2007, 12:29AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 4/5

    Anya, This is a enticing topic for much further discussion: the twixt and tween of the generation above and the generation below, not in terms of brains or superiority but in terms of seniority. I remember well, as a high school graduate of 1977, reading articles about the generation gap of my day. Instead of my parents and bosses telling me what to do without any explanation, the new authoritative demeanor was at least ask me to do the chore and give me an explanation as well. Now it seems to be wrapped up with "Just hw is this going to make me happy?" I know this is hyperbole in my part but seems plausible to note. As Covey writes: Effectiveness is more important than efficiency when working with people. However, I would encourage all of us to understand that the work-ethic in and of itself is a great value to pursue. It may not be filled with loads of fun and flexibility at all times. Moderation in the pursuit of pleasure is a time-tested value as well. Of course, as I have moved into the early middle aged demographic, I have learned the nexus between education, experience, and wisdom. Wisdom emerges when combining experience, ingenuity, intelligence, and a life long commitment to learning. Strict intelligence, for instance when it seems to be defined today as technological savvy, differs from wisdom. The literature's focus and research concerning the gap between independence and dependence of our teens and twenty somethings with the older folks are recurring themes decade upon decade. This is hardly a new "phenomenon." This extended adolescence of today...I believe it is a real sociological construct; however, maybe there was extended adolescence in our earlier generational extended families too. So what do we make of this? First, I think your analysis of Morley's condemnation of the millenials is a bit off, though you are certainly allowed your feelings to feel so. In fact, I think those of his generation and mine, for that matter, who have been fortunate to find a good career and fit with our lifestyle, have done just what the millenials seek: to stay connected with our families and friends and yet find flow and purpose in our work. Greed has been around in all generations, most definitely not a new occurrence found in the millenials. Second, the income of one's parents most definitely can flavor this entitlement mentality of lack thereof. I have paid for all my degrees, a BS and two Masters without nary a dime from my family. I was not discouraged from going for my goals educationally, though. This learned resilience most definitely has shaped my perspective: The primary responsibility for proactivity or inactivity in my moral, financial, physical, and career contentment resides within me. But being interdependent in life is much better than totally independent and certainly dependent. Lastly, I am looking forward to reading more on the baby-boomers versus the milennials: This keeps the dialogue, centuries old perhaps, going between the generations!

  • Nina - Saturday, November 24, 2007, 12:26AM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    Please, scientists got this wrong. May be parents pay more attention to children that are not doing well. Who knows if these kids would do even worse if parents stopped calling.

  • Yahoo! Finance User - Friday, November 23, 2007, 8:23PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 5/5

    The subject is excellent! I'm sure all the old hippies just hate the idea of today's young adults enjoying excellent relationships with their parents. The hippy generation hated their parents. They did everything they could think of to hurt, shock, disrespect and break clear away from their parents. Millennials are simply the coolest generation to come along in a long time. America rejoice! Millennials are intelligent, thinking, open, listening, exploring, asking questions, green as grass, and, they love their parents!

  • Tricia - Friday, November 23, 2007, 6:55PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 5/5

    This article is right on. Overprotection of children is a big problem with middle class and more privileged parents. Children should be raised to be self confident and independent, and increasingly allowed to make their own decisions. Rather than intervene on behalf of their children, parents should teach their children to handle things and speak for themselves. There are some adults who don't respect younger people, who won't listen to younger people or give them straight answers - in those instances it might be adventageous to the child for a parent to get directly involved with the other adult.

  • Jim - Friday, November 23, 2007, 3:17PM ET  Report Abuse

    • Overall: 1/5

    Thanks, Anya, for putting your crybaby act into the written word. It will forever be a testament to the nonsense that "millenial" nitwits spewed forth at the beginning of the 21st century.

Showing comments 6-35 of 159<< PreviousNext >>

More from Anya Kamenetz

Read the Generation Debt Book

According to economics professor Laurence J. Kotlikoff, Generation Debt offers "a truly gripping account of how young Americans are being ground down by low wages, high taxes, huge student loans, sky-high housing prices, not to mention the impending retirement of their baby boomer parents." Generation Debt will inspire you to take charge of your financial future.

Read more from Anya Kamenetz here and here.

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