'Helicopter' mum leaves parents gobsmacked after asking uni to install cameras in son's dorm
People have been left stunned as a "helicopter" mum revealed her plans to install cameras in her son's university dorm room. It's a challenging time for parents when their children leave the nest for the first time and embark on their university journey.
Not only are they leaving home, but they're also starting a new chapter in unfamiliar surroundings, often without knowing anyone. Moreover, it might be their first experience managing their finances, grocery shopping, cooking, laundry, and other responsibilities independently.
One mum, who prefers to stay anonymous, expressed her worries about her son keeping up with his chores while studying at Purdue University in Indiana, US. "It's hard to trust they'll remember everything on their own," the concerned parent posted on Facebook.
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The predicament was featured on the popular podcast I've Had It, hosted by Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan, which has a following of 1.2 million on TikTok. The duo, known for their candid rants and brutal opinions, recently discussed the mum's concerns.
Jennifer said: "Something that's really peaked our interested lately is college parents helicoptering over their college kids' lives." The pair said that "helicopter parenting is an epidemic".
She read out the mum's post on the Purdue University group, which said: "Is it too much to ask the college to install cameras in my child's dorm room? I just want to make sure they're sleeping enough and staying on top of their cleaning and laundry." She added: "And before anyone worries about roommate privacy, he is in a single room!"
The podcast hosts were left in stitches and Angie said: "That's psychotic." Others were also stunned by what the mum said, as one wrote: "This cannot be real."
Another said: "As a Brit, I just wanna check if everyone is ok over there because…" One other questioned the mother's comment about privacy, and wrote: "Roommate privacy? What about HIS privacy omg."
Another pointed out: "They won't remember everything, they will stay up too late and not eat enough at first but that's how they learn to be independent adults!" "I promise that mother does not want to see what goes on in that room!," said another.
But other parents and university staff members did not seem shocked by the behaviour after experiencing similar.
One parent said: "My son was in an honours college - the parents were asking if they could stay over with their child AND wanted to know if they could walk their child to class and attend it with them. I mean, WHAT?"
A university staff member agreed and said: "I work at a university. Let me tell you this is all very true. I've heard of parents wanting to spend the night in their child’s dorm move in day."
A former school worker said: "I worked in the admissions office of a large state school. Had a mom call in and ask who would do her son's laundry. Told her their were washer and dryers in the dorm. She wanted to hire a service."
A former admissions worker shared: "I worked in admissions for a graduate program at an Ivy League school. Helicopter parents were a huge issue."
What is your take on the mum's dilemma? Comment below.
