The Impact of Helicopter Parenting on Emerging Adult Child's Psychological Well-Being and Its Reflections on Work Life

Abstract

The phenomenon of helicopter parenting refers to the overinvolvement of parents in their children's lives (LeMoyne and Buchanan 2011). Despite its recognition on popular press, little is known about its prevalance and consequences from an empirical perspective. In order to have a complete understanding of helicopter parenting, this chapter provides a detailed overview of what is known about helicopter parenting behavior, and discusses the recent literature with respect to its effects on the psychological well being of emerging adult child and its reflections on the child's work life. As parents recently shifted their hovering behaviors into the work lives of their adult children, this term has also received considerable attention from scholars and HR practitioners. The extant literature demonstrates that parental overinvolvement is associated with poor psychological functioning of the young adults, and scholars offer several strategies for employers in coping with challenging parental involvement in their children's workplace. This chapter also provides suggestions for practical implications and recommendations for prospective research. © 2020 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.