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helicopter parent

British  

noun

  1. a parent who is excessively involved in the life of his or her child

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“I would like to see Lindsay be the hot grandma, and I would like to see me try to deal with toddlers today. I want to be a helicopter parent in today’s world,” she added.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2024

“I’m not a helicopter parent, but he’s our only son.”

From Washington Post • Jan. 17, 2023

When my father was a small boy in Galveston, Texas, with no siblings to play with or anything like a helicopter parent regimenting his time, he roamed the inscrutable world of adults all around him.

From New York Times • Sep. 22, 2021

"It's sometimes difficult to see the differences between unlawful transactions and a wealthy helicopter parent doing all they can for their kid."

From Salon • Feb. 17, 2021

Mom has a rich social life with neighbors, relatives and book clubs—but also frames her identity around having been a proud helicopter parent to her only child.

From Slate • Nov. 23, 2020

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