How can parents begin to relinquish control?
Picture a seesaw. To achieve balance in mid-air, both people have to do some shifting. Relinquishing control involves identifying where you are and shifting to where you need to be for the sake of your child and yourself. Most of us will fall loosely into one of the two ends of the seesaw. On one end sits “the helicopter parent” and on the other “the hands off parent.” A helicopter parent tends to hover over her child, trying to micromanage the child’s life from a distance while the hands off parent will be less likely to interfere at all, wanting her child to make all his own decisions now. Though both of these parents deeply love their children, kids who have just left the nest will benefit most from parents who are a balance of the two types. Call once a week or so, send periodic emails or notes of encouragement, make occasional visits, get to know their friends, and let them know that, even though you have confidence in their judgment, they can still consult you about major decisio
