Trying to Land the Helicopter a Parent to a Child with Autism

My kids tell me I worry “too much.” My husband knows I worry “too much” and my friends tell me not to worry “too much.” I also imagine my son’s teachers, guidance counselors and doctors having a voodoo doll of me they stick with pins when I worry “too much,” but, how do I know what is “too much?” Is there some secret formula for worrying the right amount? If so, everyone should know I got a D in high school chemistry, so even if you know the formula and share it with me, chances are I will still blow something up.

Yes, I know we are the generation of helicopter mothers. We circle around hovering just over the tops of our kids’ heads, keeping an eye out for incomplete homework, school yard bullies and the latest apps to make sure our kids are safe and happy. And I know that as a parent, there comes a time when we are supposed to either land the damn helicopter in some field and open a bottle of wine and relax. Or at the very least, circle around our kids’ heads with less frequency and at a significantly higher elevation. But when your child has an autism diagnosis, or any kind of different ability, it’s hard to “helicopter” from a distance.

I have tried. Oh believe me, I have tried.

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