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I would consider myself very laid back. I'm not sure on advice, the fact that you leave him with friends a few hours here and there is great! Maybe try and do that a little more often, or have DH take him on a longer outing and make it a little longer every time.

I'm pretty laid back. No advice really. I just know she's okay. I also SAH and so leaving her with a new church nursery worker or even my 19 year old brother (that happened this weekend) makes me a little sick to my stomach but I just do it and she's always okay.

@MrsMccarthy: I don't think there is anything wrong with that, unless you aren't comfortable with the way things are (like you are having anxiety or something).

I don't subscribe to a philosophy, but I guess "attachment parents" would be what we kind of are. I believe that a close connection to parents gives kids confidence for life. Hey, the opposite happened to me, and I see it working for LO, so that's why I have these beliefs.

When she is with someone I trust, however, I know she is in good hands.

@MrsMccarthy: I can understand that. I started leaving LO when he was really little because I had been advised by women much wiser than me that the longer you wait the harder it is. I think that really helped me...that and the fact that I have faith that all I can do is make the best decisions I can, and that ultimately I cannot protect him from everything forever. Have you had anxiety issues in the past? Maybe it would help to talk to a professional about them. Extreme circumstances aside, I don't think it is typical to experience anxiety when your child is with his dad or other trustworthy family members.

I'm not really helicoptery at all. There are times when other people do something for her and I think i could do it better of course, but I've been away from her several times for overnights and long weekends and I really don't worry about her. I know she's well taken care of, but I do miss her like crazy. I usually let her do her own thing while we're out, but she's never out if my site or if she's being naughty I correct her, but that's about it. I've just never been a huge worrier at all.

@MrsMccarthy: baby steps! Hopefully it will get easier with time!

@blackbird: right there with you... :):

I'm a laid back mom overall, but I have my helicopter moments too.

@MrsMccarthy: at first, I was so nervous leaving M with DH. But I got over it cause he's his dad and I trust that he can care for M. Now I will leave them together for a few hours so that I can have some one on one time with D.

I am a helicopter mom.

I hover, a lot, because my son needs to know I am watching him otherwise he manipulates the situation. In some instances with younger children, they just can't work issues out on their own and it escalates.

I also call the school on a regular basis to make sure we are working on issues and that my son isn't being targeted unfairly wrt to behavior.

Will I call his college? Never say never, especially if I am paying for it, but it might not be in my son's favor!

I would say I fall more toward laid back, I have no issues with LO having overnights with grandparents, she's been doing them regularly since she was a baby. I know I was a lot more "helicopter" when we were dealing with eating/allergy issues, I got all sorts of momma-bear when I saw people giving her food without asking me first, I found it incredibly disresepecful when everyone was aware of her issues.

Otherwise now at 2 1/2, I let her have her independence (which she needs) and I do my best to stand back and let her deal with things on her own. She's naturally very independent (as I am) so I know she needs to do things on her own to learn.

I'm not. I've spent multiple nights away from him and I've left him to play in rooms by himself. He knows that if he calls for me I will appear. I check on him from wherever I am, but I don't need to sit in a room constantly watching. Somtimes I need to fold laundry and he doesn't want to be in that room. Sometimes I need to go get something and need to leave the room he's in.

I don't run after him making sure he doesn't fall, because kids need to fall and learn to pick themselves back up again (at least in my opinion). I also want L to learn how to deal with certain things on his own. I can't and won't always be there to help him out of situations that are unfavourable. It's best if he can learn how to find the solution to them himself.

There are definitely things that he can't control right now that aren't necessarily learning. I like to be in control of what he eats. It's one of my weaknesses! I'm getting a lot better about it myself, but my IL's would feed him chocolate all day long if they were allowed and I just don't agree with that. Or the expression "grandparents get to spoil their grandkids". Doesn't fly with me. But that's my beef and I know that.

I thought I would be.....but not really! Even all my mom friends say I'm way laid back about LO. As a result she's fiercely independent and she's a great problem solver (for a 22 month old that is! ) I do confess that there are times I wish she needed me more...or acted like she needed me more.

I'm super laid back. I try hard to let my son learn from his mistakes. I don't let him get in situations where he can seriously get hurt but I encourage his independence and exploration. He knows I'm always close and I check on him or he will check on me (when I'm in the shower, for instance). He stays overnight with my mom at least once a month and we allow trusted friends and family to babysit and/or take him places regularly. I don't think it's necessarily something you can give advice on, for me I think it's just my personality. I love my son more than life itself, I love spending time with him, but we are two separate people. I need my space and independence, so does he.

I never really considered myself a helicopter parent but my daughter is 19 months and has never been cared for by anyone besides me, her dad, or one of her grandmas (and only a handful of times for less than two hours each lol..they don't live nearby). I am the only one who has ever put her down for bed/nap. But it isn't that I am afraid to leave her necessarily, I just enjoy being a SAHM and we don't know anyone in the area that we would trust to babysit her (admittedly I haven't really looked into it). My MIL is moving in with us next month though, and I would have no problem leaving my daughter with her if needed, as long as it isn't overnight because DD still nurses to sleep so that would be hell for MIL. So while some might consider her very rarely being out of my care "helicopter parent" behaviour, I don't really think so.

She plays on her own in another room just fine while I do other things and when we go to park, classes, or playgroups I don't hover over her or anything. Sometimes she wants to stay by me and other times she wants to run free, I follow her lead. I let her make mistakes and learn from them. I definitely don't plan on being a pest to her when she's in college, etc lol