On the other hand, it sure isn't doing the kid a lot of favors by not severing the apron strings. I went through university with zilch interference from parents.
I think that's the key. Two weeks after high-school graduation I was out of the house and in my own apartment.
I worked 5 nights a week and took 18 units in college.
The last thing I wanted was for mom to call and make sure I was getting up on time for class.
People forget that the role of child-rearing is to create an "autonomous" individual capable of making their own decisions.
After all, the parents aren't going to be around forever.
I talked to my mom every couple of weeks, but I lived in the dorms and she generally let me live my life. My college was only about three miles from the house, but Mom let me leave the nest.