Just BB I bet we would have enjoyed coaching together. And calming down and getting back to OP... I am not even sure what it means to be a helicopter parent. But pretty sure I am not it. Don't do my kids homework (I rarely did my own!). My son going into Catholic High school is going to work there full time all summer as part of their work program to reduce tuition. My son complains that I don't take him to the facility enough not me pushing him. He has no issue walking to the games that are home games. No problem paying for baseball stuff he wants from his sandwich bag dull of money he has gotten for xmas bdays etc. Wants to get a job the instant he turns 15. My oldest worked extremely hard for her academic full ride. My second oldest is well on her way t o academic money. My fourth works his tail off to be the #1 distance swimmer in the state - which earned him an introduction to an old classmate who was a distance olympian - coincidentally a Stanford grad! My last (7 yrs old) we will give just a few more years! All that having been said I am demanding and I am relentless in drilling into my children's head what life is all about (and yes we all have different opinions about this I am sure). If I am guilty of anything it is using the term we. Family togetherness and an all for one one for all attitude is central to my core beliefs. What was the line of wyatt earps (too lazy to look up spelling) father "blood is blood and everybody else is just a stranger".