What is a helicopter parent?

A helicopter parent does not give a child enough space to grow and experience life on his own. The term was first used in a 1960s book, "Parents & Teenagers" by Dr. Haim Ginott's, where some teenagers used it to refer to parents who were overprotective of them.

All children need room and space to grow, but helicopter parents do not allow this because they are constantly watching over the shoulder of their offspring. Helicopter parents are typically afraid that their children will make disastrous mistakes, so they do not give them the chance to do so. However, making errors are necessary for growth, so children of helicopter parents often lack self-confidence in later years.