helicopter moms

You thought Tiger Mom was tough and helicopter mom a bit overbearing. There's a new parenting style making the rounds, and it's not pretty. Meet Lawnmower Mom: she can be found lurking around the sidelines of her kids sporting events, ready to jump in and "mow" down anything — or anyone — who gets in the way of her lil one. Parents who are a little too invested in their kids' games, screaming and yelling at coaches and arguing with referees, aren't a new concept, but this new breed of aggressive parenting takes the whole inappropriate exchange to a violent, utterly unacceptable new level: there are reports of mothers going so far as to attack other children who they feel have wronged their child in some way.

The "lawnmower mom's" behavior isn't limited to the field; CBS reports that one mother actually encouraged her 12-year-old to brawl with her classmates, and then got in on the action herself, throwing punches. Like helicopter moms, the lawnmower mom believes it's up to her to shepherd her child through life, clearing their path of every obstacle — real or imagined.

Have you ever met a lawnmower parent? How did you handle it?

Forget Nanny 911, there's a new parenting sheriff in town, and her name is Lenore Skenazy. Readers may remember her as the famous or infamous — depending on which parenting circles you run in — New York columnist who was dubbed the "world's worst mother" for allowing her 9-year-old son to ride the subway solo in 2008. Instead of backpedaling and trying to save face in front of all those haters, Skenazy turned her adventure in parenting infamy into a whole movement, known as Free-Range Parenting, in direct opposition to the Helicopter Mom phenomenon.

Skenazy is now the host of a new reality series, Bubble Wrap Kids, where she attempts to "unwrap" a generation of tots being protected to the point of suffocation by their well-meaning, way overprotective parents. The first episode finds Skenazy counseling an extremely anxious mother of a 10-year-old boy who isn't permitted to skate, ride a bicycle, eat bacon, go to camp, or use a knife. Currently, the show is being produced in Canada, but if an American version shows up, will you watch?

The wise Ferris Bueller once said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Families embracing the concept of slow parenting movement would certainly agree. The "slow family" style isn't a totally new concept — it has popped up as an alternative to the popular and often satirized helicopter mom archetype for the past several years. Families who embrace slow parenting feel that in general, kids these days are overscheduled, overstressed, overextended: basically overparented. Believers in the "slow" philosophy advocate fewer after-school activities, more time with the family, less TV, and more time playing outside.

The movement might have gotten off to a — slow — start, but it seems to be picking up some momentum lately, probably due to some combination of Tiger Mom backlash, a down economy, and a growing trend focused on simplicity and getting back to basics.

What do you think about the slow parenting philosophy?

The helicopter mom may have been shoved aside by the Tiger Mom this year, but overprotective parents won't be extinct any time soon. It's a big scary world out there and if parents aren't watching over their kids' every move, who will?

If these signs sound like you, watch out, you may be hovering in Helicopter Mom territory!

1. You have the cell phone numbers of all of your kids' teachers on speed dial — and you're not shy about calling.
2. You enlisted the services of a preschool admittance essay adviser in your second trimester.
3. You started a line of kids clothing with built-in tracking devices.
4. Your child is your best friend.
5. You attend, observe, and videotape every dance class, and then learn all of the routines so you can practice together.
6. After your tot and a friend set up a lemonade stand, you ask the friend's mom for a letter of recommendation highlighting your 6-year-old's business acumen.
7. You see nothing wrong with personally taking down that 8-year-old bully (and her mother) who didn't let your lil one in the clubhouse.
8. Your 4-year-old orders Chinese food. In Chinese.
9. All potential playmates and their parents must cooperate with a thorough background check.
10. You don't count Cornell as a real Ivy. In ten years, your child will only be applying there as a safety school.

Drop the kiddos off at this Saturday's first ever Take Our Children to the Park . . . And Leave Them There Day. Playgrounds are abuzz with parents discussing the amount of freedom children need. The day, which free-range parenting pioneer Lenore Skenazy created to draw attention to today's tendency toward over-parenting, is encouraging mom and dad to allow their kids — particularly those over 7 years old — to play without restrictions.

But for parents who aren't ready to leave their kiddos completely alone, we have three tips to ease your way into allowing them more freedom.

• If an entire afternoon at the park sounds too scary, try five- and 10-minute increments of freedom.
• If you're used to hovering over your child on the jungle gym, try sitting on a bench and watching from afar. You'll still be close enough to keep tabs on things.
• Rather than tote a bag filled with toys and equipment, let your child lead the way. See where some unstructured play time leads them.

The term "free-range kids" made Lenore Skenazy a household name in America. But British parents are still keeping close tabs on their children. LV=Streetwise, a British charity that educates children about safety, conducted a study and found that parents are more restrictive than previous generations. While mom and dad grew up playing in their local parks and sleeping at friends' houses when they were young, their own lil ones must wait two years longer to do the same activities. The survey of 6,000 adults and 1,000 children found that 43 percent of kids are restricted from visiting their nearest park alone and 60 percent are not allowed to use public transportation without an adult.

In an effort to ease helicopter parenting, Skenazy is encouraging parents to give their children some independence on May 22 with the first Take Our Children to the Park . . . And Leave Them There Day. Will you participate?

What child hasn't heard the story of their parents hiking five miles to school, uphill (in both directions) during a blizzard? Such tall tales may seem even more foreign to kids as fewer moms are allowing their lil ones to walk to school on their own. According to the National Household Travel Survey, child abductions, unsafe traffic conditions, and neighborhood conditions can be blamed for the decline in the number of walkers from 41 percent in 1969 to 13 percent in 2001.

Following the discovery of Jaycee Duggard, the New York Times looked into the dwindling number of school kids who walked to school and found there is a heated debate over the matter. While helicopter parents may escort their wee ones the one or two blocks to class, free-range parents feel the need to cut the cord. Mamas who allow their offspring to walk alone often face the wrath of neighbors and school administrators who scold them for their decisions and require them to sign permission slips that explain their decision to allow solo journeys.

How does your child get to school each day?

How much say should parents have in their children's education? In an age where adults are known to begin educating babies in the womb, obsess over their tots' preschool admissions, and sign them up for dozens of activities, it's no wonder that some parents try and control their child's class placement. Whether it's mom asking that her son not be placed in the same class as his nemesis, or dad requesting a specific teacher based on reports from PTA members, principals deal with a legion of requests. And many helicopter parents are used to getting their way — even paying to push their opinions on the institution. In some private establishments, mothers and fathers have pooled their funds to buy members of the faculty out of their contracts. Is this appropriate — what's your opinion on the issue?