Helicopter parents - who hover over every aspect of their child’s education - have now risen as far as the graduate job market, says Paul Redmond

(…) The impact of the helicopter parent extends well beyond the lives of their children. In higher education, helicopter parents are rapidly transforming the relationship between universities and students. Parents are more vocal than their children; they also tend to be far more confident in making demands. Typically, these start before their sons and daughters arrive on campus. (…)

According to one recent study, 20% of all new students now live at home (in 1996 it was 12%). During the same period, the proportion of students living in university halls fallen from 35% to 27%.

Not that living in halls means an end to helicopter parenting. Thanks to the invention of the mobile phone, surely the longest umbilical chord in history, parents can now speak to their children on a daily, even hourly basis. And they do. (…)

Helicopter parents - the five most common kinds

The Agent

Operates like a footballer’s agent: fixing deals, arranging contracts, smoothing out local difficulties. It’s the Agent’s job to represent his or her client at events which, for whatever reason, the client feels are simply too tedious to attend. Having an Agent helicopter parent is like having Max Clifford working for you round the clock. For free.

The Banker

Accessible online, face to face or via personal hotline, the Banker is unique in the world of financial services for charging no APR, asking few if any questions, expecting no collateral, and being psychologically inclined to say ‘yes’ no matter how illogical or poorly articulated the request. The Banker is also resigned to never seeing loans repaid.

The White Knight

Imbued with an almost semi-mythical status, the White Knight parent appears at little to no notice to resolve awkward situations. Once resolved, the White Knight will fade anonymously into the background. Intervention is accomplished silently and with minimum fuss.

The Bodyguard

The primary function of the Bodyguard is to protect the client from a range of embarrassing social situations - such as cancelling appointments and soaking up complaints on behalf of their client. Particularly skilled in constructing elaborate excuses. When not protecting life, limb and reputation, doubles up as a chauffeur and personal assistant.

The Black Hawk

Named after the military helicopter, and dreaded by teachers and educational administrators, the Black Hawk is unique among helicopter parents due to their willingness to go to any lengths - legal or illegal - to give their offspring a positional advantage over any competition. Particularly lethal when elected to parent-teacher associations. (…)

Source: Guardian Unlimited, UK
http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/news/story/0,,2234183,00.html