How would you define a "helicopter parent" and what do you think about it?

Helicopter parent: is a colloquial, late 20th and early 21st-century term for a parent who pays extremely close attention to their child's or children's experiences and problems, particularly at educational institutions."Mother hovers over me like a helicopter..."

I think over parenting is never good. It leaves the child fragile and inexperienced. When the child grows up and moves out of the house it would probably be difficult for the child to transition to taking care of him or herself because he/she is so used to the parent doing everything and protecting them all the time. Kids have to make mistakes sometime, it will either be while they live with you, or once they move out and there is nothing you can do to stop it.

I've never heard the term before but I would assume it's a parent who hovers. This is the type that genuinely wants the very best for their child but they cannot restrain themselves from letting the kids make his or her own mistakes, so they compulsively interfere. An example would be if an elementary school aged child was writing an essay. Instead of letting the kid write it out on their own, the parent would help them word by word, or maybe even write it for them. I think this style of parenting can coddle the child. My parents used a much more laissez-faire style and I would not be as independent or self-sufficient if not for it. Hope this helps!