noodle

Helicopter parents drive me insane.
There is (usually) a pretty substantial and visible line between what could happen to your kid in a certain situation and what won't. For instance, the playing with the neighbors in a cul-de-sac. Pretty sure if you're in the area as a parent, your kid is probably not going to get kidnapped or plowed over by a maniacal 90mph driver in that particular cul-de-sac. Riding the subway at 8am is different than 9pm, like ASU said.
The difference between a responsible parent and a helicopter parent is that the responsible parent walks through scenarios with their kid, prepares them for things, and then lets them experience situations with them once or twice or by his or herself if it's not a big deal.
I whole-heartedly agree that a lot of parents are actually creating panic, anxiety and social disorders in their children (SOME parents, not ALL parents) by instilling their own fears, teaching maladaptive behaviors and isolating their kids from life.
Kids feed off their parents' reactions. Ever seen a kid that hasn't had a blood draw before? They're usually okay as long and mom or dad don't shudder or make a big deal out of it. One reaction from Mommy and you're likely to see Kiddo freak out.
That's a minimal example. But I see it all the time with the medically complex kids.
Coddle them and you're going to end up with a spoiled brat. Allow them SOME freedom, not life with no boundaries or expectations, and you have a more confident child that is willing to explore their environment and learn better.
I'm not discounting genetics or anything like that in terms of mental illness, but I see parents really and truly shaping personalities of children through their own behaviors and fears.
It's sad.

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