A few months ago we talked about the different types of parents that existed and we talked about the "helicopter father" like the one who spent the day controlling everything his son did. Well, we can confirm that this father exists and that he has taken that from the helicopter to the letter, or almost.
Chris Early of Knoxville, Tennessee, has gained fame for being the first father who watches with a drone the way to his daughter's school.
The care for the children taken to the extreme
When a few months ago Katie, our protagonist's eight-year-old daughter told her that she no longer wanted her father to accompany her more times to school and that she wanted to go by herself, I am sure she could not imagine what her father was up to. when he said "ok, but I have another idea."
The next day, Katie undertook the road to school, and for the first time in her life, it would be a solo road or at least that was what she thought. What Katie did not know is that her father was going to use his skills piloting a recording drone to monitor the way to school from the air.
"I watched as other boys pointed to the drone and I assumed that she would also have noticed and would be like Oh, it's my father!" said Chris
When Katie returned home, we don't know if she was watched or not, her father showed her the images the drone had recorded.
"I was like wow! He hadn't told me anything, so I was very surprised," Katie said.
I am a father and I can understand the concern that your son is safe, prevent him from suffering and always take care of him. But we must bear in mind that in order for our children to become more or less responsible adults we must let them grow and this implies giving them space and confidence. It's not just about getting to school without getting lost, it's about being independent, it's about growing, both physically and mentally. Self-confidence, in their abilities is a basic pillar for development and to achieve it, we, the parents must move away and let them "fly." If we dedicate ourselves to flutter all day around taking care of each of the steps that we take what we are going to achieve, it will not be to anyone's liking, since the most normal thing is that our children, as strange as it may sound, end up becoming in despots unable to face themselves day by day. I still remember the case of a mother who accompanied her son in his first job interview and when I say "accompany", I mean going to the same interview room.
Children have the right to privacy
Staying 24 hours a day watching our children is exactly that, "vigilance" which is nothing more than the opposite that sooner or later they seek privacy. Because in order to fully develop we also need our small space where only we fit. Maybe she wanted to go to school alone to greet, with no more shame than she already has, that boy she likes so much or maybe to be able to enter the group of friends of the class who already go to school alone.
I don't say we shouldn't watch them, much less. As I said at the beginning, we are parents and it is something we will never be able to avoid. Therefore, the difficult part lies in finding that point of confidence in which they grow at their own pace, but they are sure.
Forbidden to fly over anyone's life
By the way, if any of you were thinking of copying the idea to our American friend, you can forget about it, because here, in Spain, these types of drones are prohibited.
And you, would you use a drone to monitor what your children do?
