TOW #20: "Teen Spirit Helicopter parenting has crippled American teenagers. Here’s how to fix it." by Dan Griffin

Writing/Reading Goals

• Analyze rhetorical devices/strategies effectively
• Have decent transitions
• Read something somewhat controversial

We’ve all been coddled by our parents at one point in our lives.  We may have been annoyed when it happened, but our parents helped us feel good about ourselves and made sure we stayed focused.  However, according to Dan Griffin, a psychologist and therapist in Washington D.C. and author of “Helicopter parenting has crippled American teenagers. Here’s how to fix it.”, the pampering must stop.  He argues in the text that parents must take a step back from monitoring their kids in order for their children to learn about failure and become responsible for their own actions.  To his audience of overbearing parents, Griffin accomplishes his purpose of proving that they must loosen their reins on their children by sharing a true story about a patient.

The backbone of Griffin’s argument relies on a true story that proves that kids will have greater achievement without their parents’ aid.  In Washington D.C., a child’s parents oversaw the completion of his homework every night due to his lack of motivation and focus.  Griffin wrote, “Every evening, they reviewed his homework assignments, made a list of priorities, kept track of upcoming tests, reviewed long-term projects, and made plans to get a tutor if the work was confusing. Then the next night, they did it again.”  By supervising their son’s work and ensuring that he did well in school, “Ian’s” parents believed they were fulfilling their role as supportive, helpful parents.  In reality, the coddling was preventing “Ian” from reaching his true potential.  Since “Ian” wasn’t doing any work of his own volition, Griffin argued that he would fail later in life if always cajoled into accomplishing tasks.  His parents then stopped helping, causing “Ian” to experience failure.  As a result, “Ian” was forced to help himself.   By doing so, “Ian” learned that he must be responsible for his own actions if he wanted to experience success.  Being accountable for his own failures and successes has ensured “Ian” the greater probability of a prosperous life and has demonstrated that parents must stop trying to save their kids from failure.

The Coddling of Helicopter Parents

 

http://www.cambridgenannygroup.com/blog/helicopter-parents-when-helping-hurts/