helicopter parents

helicopter parents
 n.pl.— «When their babies go off to college, some parents are unable to deal with the empty nest. One of the names applied to them is “helicopter parents,” who hover over campus and their children—mostly during their freshman year.» —“UF is finding many parents unwilling to cut kids loose” by Bob Arndorfer Gainsville Sun (Florida) Jan. 23, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

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Further reading

Stub Your Toe (episode #1606)

Advice about college essays from the winner of a top prize for children’s literature: Kelly Barnhill encourages teens to write about experiences that are uniquely their own, from a point of view that is theirs and no one else’s. Plus, why do we say...

If Grandma Had Wheels (episode #1603)

While compiling the Oxford English Dictionary, lexicographer James Murray exchanged hundreds of letters a week with authors, advisors, and volunteer researchers. A new collection online lets you eavesdrop on discussions about which words should be...