Is it just ME?

Or are ‘helicopter’ parents ruining kids’ careers?

I WAS at a dinner with the wife of a famous TV sports presenter. She is astonished by how many parents she barely knows at the school gates sidling up to ask if their child could do work experience with her husband.

As his gate-keeper, my friend politely, but firmly, makes it clear that he is much more likely to be impressed by their child if they ask him themselves.

In fact, this wise fellow makes a point of not giving a child a look-in unless they leave their parents out of it.

I was sceptical about the existence of so-called ‘snowflakes’, and still object to the term, but there is no doubt ‘helicopter’ parents — who take an excessive, overprotective interest in their child’s life — exist in swarms and are not doing their offspring any favours.

A study last week suggested overbearing parents harm their children’s emotional wellbeing. Who knew?

The other day, a CEO I know was amazed to get a letter saying: ‘My wonderful son, Jimmy, 24, is looking for a job in the summer, preferably in the film industry, although he would consider working for a TV production company or an investment bank.’

The CEO wondered who this pushy parent was and how come their adult son was happy for his mother or father to be advertising so brazenly his astonishing sense of entitlement? She threw the letter in the bin.

If helicopter parenting is rife, nowhere is it more in-your-face than in jobseeking. In fact, so bad has the phenomenon become that, a few days ago, another employer I know was forced to send out a plea.

He diplomatically said applications ‘are so much better written by the applicants themselves’ and added by drafting their own, which anyone should, it would save their parents a lot of bother. Only youngsters who do it themselves need apply.

‘My wonderful son wants a job in film, but would consider working for TV’