i think i was accused of being a helicopter parent!

[MadiMamacita]

ds is 10.5 months. he is a fast crawler and gets around very well. some times he likes to explore, and sometimes he likes to stick nearby.
Yesterday DH and I were playing a board game on the floor and DS was hanging around, pulling up on the couch, climbing into our laps, generally staying near when a neighbor who was over made a comment like
"geez, don't you let that kid crawl around and explore? he should be getting into everything by now!"
I thought it was fairly obvious that we weren't restraining him in any way..

do your kids do this? just sort of hang out near you??

[wookie]

all the time.

it seems like an odd comment. YOU were the ones stationary so it's not like you were hovering over HIM. i thought helicopter parents went where their babes went? he's a helicopter kid if anything

[GoestoShow]

.

Edited by GoestoShow - 1/4/11 at 8:51am

[TiredX2]

I thought a certain amount of helicoptoring (which is not what I would call what you were doing, btw) was MANDATORY with a mobile infant! Otherwise I'd say "negligence"!

[denimtiger]

No, you're not a helicopter parent! Some babies are helicopter babies. My dd is now 2.5, and I'm lucky if she plays by herself for 10-15 minutes, and even then I have to be in the general area. I never had to really baby-proof my house because she would never, but never, be out of my line of sight (well, me out of hers!) for long enough to get into anything. If I'm stationary, she's on top of me. Apparently, climbing on my legs when they're propped up is far more entertaining than the mountains of toys.

[yasinsmama]

I don't think helicopter parenting refers to toddlers, or pre-schoolers even. Helicopter Parenting is when you take care of things that your child is old enough to take care of themselves, like the university example mentioned above.
I think what your company said was ridiculous though. What does she want you to do? Put the kid outside and tell him to walk to the store and buy a loaf of bread? Sheesh.