My parents ARE like that. Specifically dad, because ya know, I'm a spoilt little princess.

I'm serious about dad being a helicopter parent. My cousins are taking bets over how many trips he'll make to visit me (I'm doing university elsewhere) during my first year.

And Blondes Have More Felons was Great!

My girlfriend found so many Barbies in her girl's room that she decided that she didn't need new Christmas ornaments for the that year and the next year she added the Happy Meal toys.

I confess that I had a ton of Barbies growing up. When a new one came out, Dad would whisk me off to the toy store, and she was mine. I had horses and dogs and a pool complete with shower. But I'm also an only child, and hey, something had to entertain me.

Oddly enough, neither of my parents turned into helicopter parents. I was the late bloomer who didn't *mind* checking in. It went from once a day to once a week gradually and now that I'm All Grown Up (tm), it's once a month or so.

And Mom doesn't panic. So the propellers will fade, eventually.

You're talking about my MOTHER! OMG I got engaged just to get out of the house, then when we broke up, I slept on a friend's floor because I knew if I moved home, she'd never let me escap--er move out again.

I'm torn. I have the same problem with my boys you do with your two--that damned lack of gratitude--and it drives me bonkers...but I'm not a hand-holding mommy. Maybe it's because they're both boys and they don't have a full-time man around (and their dad is such a wanker) but I really push them to be independent, to accept responsibility and stand up for themselves. Or maybe it's because I wish my mom had pushed me to be more independent and outspoken when I was their age.

At least you all know what you are. I thought I was a laissez-faire, don't-let-them-eat-any-really-big-bugs kind of mom, but am discovering helicopterish tendencies now that Thing One is getting older. It was one thing to let them go to the park on their own. Now he wants to roam the city with his friends. Eeek!

Eileen R

Eileen....there's a part of me that cringes every time they go to the park (it's like 2 freakin' blocks!) or to a friend's house but sometimes ya gotta just suck it up. I don't envy you, cuz I know those days are coming.

I've always been a mama wolf. I'm the one who told my kids if another kid bullied them, to let me know and I'd go beat the kid up. Navy Guy says I'm not setting a good example.

Er, I HAVE beat them up before *blush*! Back when I had foster kids some boy was bullying my boys and I caught him red-handed breaking into my garage to steal one of the boys' bike. I freaked out on him, and when his BIG cousins came after me I went toe-to-toe with them! Don't screw with a Mom! I even scared my DH! But I was the hero of the neighborhood kids afterwards! And hey, this kid was bigger than ME! (And no, I didn't hit him--what do you think I am, a child abuser--sheesh!)

And the Barbie thing? Everything Princess has times two!! Remember I have TWO girls and they LOVED Barbies! Horses, cars, kitchens, pets, strollers, bikes, scooters--the list is endless! I think we even had a toy store! Their room looked like a Barbie catologue had exploded in there! Very pink...

We are the same way with buying things. All three kids have TV's, VCR/DVD players, personal CD players, iPod thingy's, two have cell phones... My son has three or four game systems! We are running out of things to buy them now...

I've totally spoiled my kids... but they deserve it. And growing up an only child, it's the only way I know!

As for helicopter tendencies, I think I've got them. My oldest daughter just turned 13 and it's just going SO fast. I'm trying to keep the lines of communication open so that she's comfortable talking to me. (If she's really embarrassed, she instant messages me)

No one told me about this part... :)

I'm with you on the spoiled kids thing. My daughter's Barbie habit... well, just imagine the first granddaughter on both sides. And stuffed animals? They breed, I tell you. And I'm embarrassed by the amount of Legos (you know those giant Rubbermaid bins with wheels? 3 of them. overflowing.) and the number of GameCube/GameBoy/DS/PS2 games my sons have collected. We don't even buy toys anymore, but they keep appearing anyway. (possibly we ought to stop giving them allowances)

But the helicopter parent? This I've never understood. My daughter's several thousand miles away, in college on another continent. She calls a few times a week. Sure, I worry about her, but mostly, I'm just so proud of how well she's doing on her own that I could burst, and I'm trying to figure out how to nudge the boys out of the house when it's their turn so they can also experience the halfway-out-on-your-own thing.

Darla, you and Michelle should talk. She has a daughter in college on another continent, too. I look at Princess, in her baby-faced 6 y.o. glory, and can't even imagine having her live in another CITY, let alone country. But I guess that's what the teenage years are for - so we'll be glad to get rid of them!! lol

Sam's not growing up and moving away from me. And that's my final word on the matter.

As I tell him every day, "You'll never meet a girl who loves you as much as your mother does."

George says this is disturbing, but I say *pfft* to that.

It is hard when they leave, but although Teenager #1 is in college in the USA, I have good friends and a sister-in-law close by, which is reassuring. Plus it gives me an excuse to come over there and visit more often.

Teenager #2 is talking about backpacking around the world for a year when he finishes high school. I'm cheering him on, but at the same time dreading it :-)