I'm constantly surprised at the number of 18+ year olds who look to Mom and Dad to make decisions for them. I'm even more surprised at the number of parents that still try to manage their offspring's lives at this stage. Personally, I think this "hovering" or "helicopter parent" phenomenon is probably some sort of pre-cursor to the "empty nest syndrome" we used to hear so much about. Parents just can't or won't let go of their offspring.
Parents should always reserve the right to express their opinions and give feedback on issues when asked. But, they also need to permit and encourage their offspring to go it alone. Friends, if your offspring--male or female--is old enough to serve in the military, old enough to vote, and old enough to drink (at least in some countries), then he/she is also old enough to make his/her own way through college/university.
Thoughts? Comments? Send an e-mail to collegeuniversity@suite101.com.
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