Dear Mom and Dad,

I get it. You want me to get into a good college, be successful, and pursue all of my wildest dreams. It’s understandable, but have you ever thought about how I feel when you put so much pressure on me?

I know, I know, you only put this kind of pressure on me so I won’t slack off in school, sports, volunteer work, clubs, and everything else that I do. It’s just that I don’t think you understand. Times have changed since you’ve been in my position. In 1988, when you were 18 years old and a senior in high school, the average composite score on the ACT was a 19. Today, you can barely get accepted into a college without a 21, and scholarships aren’t usually offered until you have a 24 or above.

With this in mind, I’m not going to blow off tests and not worry about my grades. I understand that college is expensive, and a higher ACT score means that you won’t have to pay as much money for me to go to college, so why would I just not try? You put all of this extra pressure on me to be perfect and get straight A’s so I can have a high GPA, but I already put enough pressure on myself. Having you fuss at me when I don’t get an A on a test makes me feel like I’m letting you down. However, the truth is, I don’t mind getting a couple of bad grades every now and then. Heck, Steve Jobs, one of the smartest people on Earth, couldn’t handle the pressure of school (I get that it was at Harvard, but still. He should be smart enough to not drop out). My point is, not even some of the smartest people in the world could get perfect grades; so you can’t expect me, an extremely emotional and stressed out high school student, to get them either.

Furthermore, this doesn’t just apply to school. It applies to my social life as well. I get that you’re trying to “protect me” and “keep me out of trouble”, but I pinky promise you that I am smart enough to pick the right group of friends. You shouldn’t be concerned every time I go somewhere because I’m a good kid, and I know better than to do anything that could get me into trouble. I haven’t done anything bad in the 16 years I’ve been alive, so haven’t I gained your trust by now?

Not to mention, according to The University of Michigan Depression Center, 15% of college students suffer from depression. This is because their parents were too overprotective and they didn’t get a taste of what life is really like until they had to live without their parents helping them through everything. Also, teenagers who were too sheltered tend to act out later in life (such as in college). The first time they aren’t being monitored by their parents, they get out of control. Is that how you want me to be?

As each generation reaches college, more and more kids are being diagnosed with anxiety and depression because they can’t handle the pressure that college puts on them. Thankfully, I think you’ve put all of the pressure on me I’ll ever need for that; but, what will happen when you’re not there to help me through it?

Don’t get me wrong, I really appreciate you trying to help me be successful and keep me out of trouble, but you need to realize that I’m not a little kid anymore. It’s time for you to let me start making my own decisions without you interfering. Let’s be honest, I can’t even make a decision on my own when it comes to choosing what I want to eat at Texas Roadhouse, better yet, choosing where I want to go to college. You always talk about how you want me to be independent and stand up for what I believe in- and don’t get me wrong, I will put up a hell of a fight for something that I’m passionate about- but you can’t expect me to be so independent when I’ve been sheltered for so long. I haven’t even experienced enough things to form strong opinions on certain topics because I’m not allowed to do a lot of things that people my age are.

What I’m saying is this: I got this. You can take a deep breath, calm down, have faith in me, and let me live my own life. I am okay with not getting a 4.2 GPA. I am okay with having friends that won’t be lifelong. I am okay with trying new things in new environments. Most of all, I am okay with failure. Failing at something is the only way I am going to learn from my mistakes and become a better person.

After all, you can never be old and wise if you were never young and stupid, am I right?

Sincerely,

Your Overprotected Child

**EDIT** The questions in order for the video were meant to be as follows:
1) Is helicopter parenting beneficial to kids?
2) How often does helicopter parenting occur/ has it increased in the past years?
3) Should parents stop helicopter parenting?