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'Helicopter parents' crash-land on careers
Washington Times ^ | November 10, 2006 | Martha Irvine (Associated Press)

Posted on 11/10/2006 7:13:49 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

CHICAGO -- Some parents are writing their college-age children's resumes. Others are acting as their children's "representatives," hounding college career counselors, showing up at job fairs and sometimes going as far as calling employers to ask why their son or daughter didn't get a job.

It's the next phase in helicopter parenting, a term coined for those who have hovered over their children's lives from kindergarten to college. Now they are inserting themselves into their children's job searches -- and school officials and employers say it's a problem that may be hampering some young people's careers.

"It has now reached epidemic proportions," says Michael Ellis, director of career and life education at Delaware Valley College, a small private school in Doylestown, Pa.

At the school's annual job fair last year, he says, one father accompanied his daughter, handed out her resume and answered most of the questions the recruiters were asking the young woman. Even more often, Mr. Ellis receives calls from parents, only to find out later that their soon-to-be college grad was sitting next to the parent, quietly listening.

Jobs counselors at universities across the country say such experiences are commonplace.

"My main concern is the obvious need of the students to develop their independence and confidence," says Kate Brooks, director of the Liberal Arts Career Services at the University of Texas. "I think it's great that parents want to share their advice -- and even better that students of this age are willing to listen -- but I think the boundaries get crossed sometimes."

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: careers; embarassment; helicopterparents; jobs; needbiggerdiapers; noseyparents; parentaladvice; parents; shutupma
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
" I'd be institutionalized by now!"

She wrote my resume, gave me career advice, and sat in on my job interviews but she wouldn't give me a Pepsi ... just one Pepsi ...

21 posted on 11/10/2006 7:36:00 AM PST by who_would_fardels_bear
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Another hellish condition allowed by the invention of the cell phone.


22 posted on 11/10/2006 7:36:55 AM PST by Tijeras_Slim (Dancing through life like a street mime with tourettes syndrome.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Recently, I have seen this creep in with graduate students I work with, especially the daughters. The ones whose parents get involved don't always have the best reputation as it is. I have wondered out loud what will happen when they get jobs. Now we know...


23 posted on 11/10/2006 7:37:23 AM PST by PrincessB
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To: RobRoy

You can't blame the kids. They've been raised with mum or da making all their decisions supervising every aspect of their lives, they've never had an opportunity to become people. My wife works at a college, she deals with helicopter parents all the time, she looks the kid dead in the eye and includes the kid's name in a question and before the kid can even open their mouth the parent is answering. That's the environment these kids have been in all their lives, they've probably never had a chance to order their own food at a restaraunt, pick their own classes or extracurricular activies in school, decide on their own clothes. Their parents never shut their yaps long enough for the kid to advance past age 6 in maturity.


24 posted on 11/10/2006 7:37:26 AM PST by discostu (we're two of a kind, silence and I)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
a term coined for those who have hovered over their children's lives from kindergarten to college.

Megalomania and psychotic is another description.
25 posted on 11/10/2006 7:39:20 AM PST by Vision ("As a man thinks...so is he." Proverbs 23:7)
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To: Tijeras_Slim

Cell phones aren't nearly close enough contact for helicopter parent, about the only thing these parents aren't right there in the room for is trips to the bathroom for opposite gendered kids, and that's only because they'd get arrested.


26 posted on 11/10/2006 7:41:31 AM PST by discostu (we're two of a kind, silence and I)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Just remember, all the perfect children of FR are competing against these dolts...means more $$$ and opportunities for them...


27 posted on 11/10/2006 7:43:13 AM PST by dakine
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

I have two sons 18 and 20. They both know I am there as emergency backup, but they are adults. They can ask my advice, and do, occasionally, but they are adults. It's there decision about school, work, where to live, what to wear, when to get their hair cut.

I'm supposed to hover? My youngest wouldn't have let me hover if I had wanted to...


28 posted on 11/10/2006 7:45:52 AM PST by Knitting A Conundrum (Act Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly With God Micah 6:8)
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To: muawiyah

"Hmmm ~ you gotta' understand that when the parents have $100,000 and up invested in the kid's degree, they have a serious interest."

Ya, Mom and Pop are the co-signer's on the loan. In addition they probably took a second morgate on the house to pay for college. They are going to be damn sure Junior gets a job.

Junior does have to stand on his own two feet though.


29 posted on 11/10/2006 7:47:26 AM PST by mr_hammer (They have eyes, but do not see . . .)
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To: discostu

I'm not blaming the kids. I am saying they are what they are and I would not hire one.


30 posted on 11/10/2006 7:51:45 AM PST by RobRoy (Islam is a greater threat to the world now than Naziism was in 1937.)
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To: jan in Colorado

ping


31 posted on 11/10/2006 7:54:04 AM PST by Gondring (I'll give up my right to die when hell freezes over my dead body!)
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To: discostu

>>That's the environment these kids have been in all their lives, they've probably never had a chance to order their own food at a restaraunt, pick their own classes or extracurricular activies in school, decide on their own clothes. Their parents never shut their yaps long enough for the kid to advance past age 6 in maturity.<<

That's why I would not hire them - at least right out of school. They need their expectations changed with a serious paradigm shift. Once another employer or three has worked that out of them, I may want to look at their accomplishments to determine if they would be a good fit in my company.

OTOH, it is becoming quite common for companies to treat their employees like children.


32 posted on 11/10/2006 7:58:47 AM PST by RobRoy (Islam is a greater threat to the world now than Naziism was in 1937.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

No parental guidance at all or insanely too much now.


Sigh.


33 posted on 11/10/2006 8:05:07 AM PST by Names Ash Housewares
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
I frequently ask my parents for advice. Dad is very business savvy and Mom is eminently sensible. In the past, I've even asked them to read over my resume to get their opinion. It would be foolish not to use such good resources. And, they always enjoy it.

But, I don't think I'd ask them to come to the job interview with me. I think that I'd automatically DQ anyone who brought Mommy to any interview that I've conducted.

34 posted on 11/10/2006 8:05:12 AM PST by wbill
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

It's astonishing that parents place that much value in what undergraduate college their child attends. It doesn't really matter that much - it's amazing that 'adults' don't have a grasp of that.


35 posted on 11/10/2006 8:12:48 AM PST by HitmanLV ("If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking until you do succeed." - Jerry 'Curly' Howard)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

pathetic adult children ping


36 posted on 11/10/2006 8:20:40 AM PST by Rakkasan1 ((Illegal immigrants are just undocumented friends you haven't met yet!))
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To: Tijeras_Slim
Hi Tijeras_Slim:

We're in agreement regarding cellular telephones providing way too much ease-of-contact. When I was in college, twenty-five of us shared a payphone in the hallway and contact with home typically occurred on a weekly basis. People raced to answer the ringing phone because it was such a rare treat.

I'm an adult and I love and cherish my parents. I would run through fire for them. They were similarly wise enough to stay away from my job interviews!

~ Blue Jays ~

37 posted on 11/10/2006 8:22:45 AM PST by Blue Jays (Rock Hard, Ride Free)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

For pity sakes... my daughter is disabled and I don't hover like that! How the heck are these kids ever gonna grow into independent adults?


38 posted on 11/10/2006 8:22:58 AM PST by Awestruck (All the usual suspects)
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To: HitmanLV

some of it comes from legacy schools, I went to X you must go to X.

or

from the 1950's mentality that college educations meant something. In this day and age, most college kids have to take remidial classes in their first year!

We have too many schools becasue schools are cheep to build and have the protection of student loans which can never be forgiven. (why do we have so many law schools?)


39 posted on 11/10/2006 8:24:55 AM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: longtermmemmory

I agree entirely. Actually, when it comes to legacies, I would strongly discourage my child to go to my college! :-)


40 posted on 11/10/2006 8:27:20 AM PST by HitmanLV ("If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking until you do succeed." - Jerry 'Curly' Howard)
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