CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

ASSIGNMENT ON
Helicopter parents

Submitted to-

Submitted by-

Prof. Hemant Trivedi

Nilay Dave

Director, SPM

(20135043)

Helicopter parents
Meaning
A helicopter parent, as per Webster dictionary is a parent who is overly involved in the life of his
or her child, i.e. a parent who pays extremely close attention to their child's experiences and
problems, particularly at educational institutions. Helicopter parents are so named because, like
helicopters, they hover overhead. Parents who hover over their offspring, filling every moment
with extra lessons and after-school clubs, and create too much pressure fall under this category.

Personality Traits
Overprotectiveness
A helicopter parent is highly overprotective, they will not let their child take risks or choose a
wrong set of friends. They are obsessed with their childs well-being and safety to such an extent
that their cease to have their own life. These are the stereotypical 'bubble wrap' parents who in
the most extreme sense would prefer to lock their children up or create a buffer between them
and the real world.

Hovering
When you take your young child out into the world, the responsible thing to do is to be close to
them. Holding hands in a parking lot, following a toddler just learning to walk as she crosses a
hard surface - these are times when hovering makes sense. But when your child is in a relatively
safe space, such as a child-proofed room or an age-appropriate playground, that's when hovering
crosses the line. The helicopter parent doesn't discriminate in her hovering; she is just as vigilant
at the library's story time as she is crossing a busy intersection.

Overscheduling
Helicopter parents are very worried about making sure their kids are successful. But instead of
focusing on developing traits like self-reliance and perseverance, they focus on skills. Lots of
skills. If the 2-year-old next door is taking swimming, dance, gymnastics, Mandarin, music and
knows what flashcards are, then your neighbor is a helicopter parent. Young children learn their
developmentally appropriate skills through play and play-focused preschools, not through
lessons better suited to their 10-year-old siblings.

Problem Solving
It is one thing to step in when your 4-year-old is trying to tie his shoes, but it is quite another
when you have to take them off for him. A 2-year-old who never climbs up the stairs, a 3-yearold who can't put his socks on, a 4-year-old who can't wash his hands - these are a few examples
of too much parental problem solving. Helicopter parents are so invested in solving their
children's problems that their children never learn to solve any of them on their own.

Entertaining
A helicopter parent believes that she is his child's personal cruise director. She will never let her
child get bored or play by herself. Instead of allowing the child to develop her imagination, the
helicopter parent will often direct all the play too. It is one thing to follow your child's lead and
spend some quality play time with him each day, but look for your landing zone, helicopter
parent, when you can't take a shower or make dinner because you're too busy teaching your child
how to play with her new blocks

They Do Their Children's Academic Projects

They will take on their children's school projects, complete their homework to ensure accuracy,
and even write college entrance essays.

Mistake their Children's Performances for Their Own Identity

They are embarrassed by their children's failures because they feel they reflect poorly on
themselves, so they will engage in a process of justification, claim unfairness, list excuses, or try
to 'fix' the issue and then pretend it never happened.

Equate Love with Success and Accomplishment

Approval is given for expected behavior and disobedience is questioned because it makes the
parents look bad and puts the children's safety at risk.

Extremely focused on Maintaining Tight Control

They are preoccupied and sometimes even obsessed with their children's activities and schedules,
sometimes carrying this so far as to monitor phone calls, check text messages, and initiate
communication several times throughout the day to 'check in' on their children.

Products for Helicopter Parents and their advertising strategy

Educational CDs for Children
They would love educational CDs for their children, because they give their children some extra
leaning that other children at school will not get. They want their children to be perfect when it
comes to education, so they would rush to buy such CDs once they come across such
advertisement.

Advertisement Strategy- The advertisement should be child centric, it should portray that if
the child uses these CDs, and he/she will get the first rank in their class and would eventually
grow into smart and successful individuals who will make their parents proud.

Extra Classes- Language Classes, Music Lessons or Swimming Sessions

They love it when their child will be an over achiever, i.e. the child will have to learn something
which children of their colleagues do not learn. Extra Classes are their best chance to equip their
child with new and unique skills

Advertisement Strategy- The advertisement should focus on the importance on all round
development of the child and how learning such activities will make the child superior.

Baby Crying Alarm

This is one product that every helicopter parent must possess. It is alarm that is kept in the
parents room that rings whenever the baby wakes up. Being highly overprotective, it is difficult
for helicopter parents to leave their kids in a separate room at night and that is when such an
alarm comes in handy.

Advertisement Strategy- The advertisement should focus on how much extra care that the
parents can give their child with the help of this alarm.

Safety Gears- Helmets, Knee and elbow pads etc.

Helicopter parents are definitely a target market for safety gear manufacturers. Since safety of
their children always comes first for helicopter parents, they would rush to purchase such safety
equipment.

Advertisement Strategy- The advertisement should focus on the importance of safety and the
amount of safety that the product provides.

Good Quality Stationery

Nothing should come in the way of their childs education. A helicopter parent would always
ensure that their child gets the best quality stationery so that he/she does not face any problem
when it comes to education.

Advertisement Strategy- The advertisement should focus on the negative effects of using low
quality stationery and how it can hinder the childs progress, the helicopter parents will instantly
fall for it.

Health Drinks like Complan and Bournvita

These products are quite popular amongst helicopter parents for obvious reasons. They make
their child grow stronger and enhances their memory.

Advertisement Strategy- The advertisement should focus on the comparative analysis of the
children who use these health drinks with those who dont. The ones consuming these health
drinks should be shown as stronger and sharper.

Memory boosting ayurvedic medicines like Shankhpushpi, Chawanprash

Since they are highly obsessed with improving their childs capabilities, they will definitely
indulge in administering such medicines to their children.

Advertisement Strategy- The advertisement should focus on the comparative analysis of the
children who use these medicines with those who dont. The ones consuming these medicines
should be shown as stronger and sharper.

Premium Dry fruits like Almonds and products like honey

These products will enhance their childs mind as well as body, so helicopter parents buy such
products.

Advertisement Strategy- The advertisement should focus on the comparative analysis of the
children who use these products with those who dont. The ones consuming these should be
shown as stronger and sharper.