Solutions For Dealing With Hovering Parents

This style of parenting has been called overprotective, over-controlling and over-perfecting. Even though today’s parents have good intentions, they often parent from a place of fear, anxiety, guilt and peer pressure. As a martial arts professional, you must be prepared to meet these parents head on so you can relate to them and retain your students.

Helicopters, lawnmowers and bulldozers are all terms to describe this generation’s overprotective parenting styling. While it may seem easier to avoid the issue, but you must learn to deal with these parents as it seems they are not going anywhere.

Today it’s not just the student who participates in a sport, it’s the entire family. Parents are overly involved and have questions, complaints and opinions. Social media and google only make the problem worse.

To maintain control of parents in your classes and effectively communicate you must have a strategy to reduce negative interactions.

• Have a mission statement and guidelines in place so you can stay true to your vision.
• Know your students.
• Have protocols in place for your staff in handling conversations with parents.
• Over-service parents so they have nothing to complain about.
• Teach your instructors to have an eye on parents while teaching.  
• Don’t be afraid of healthy confrontation.
• Make sure the rules of the school apply to everyone, including yourself and your own children.
• Limit the staff members who have access to parents.
• Keep your tone in check.
• Be prepared to listen.
• Give yourself time before responding to a parent’s concern.
• Be honest.
• End the conversation with parents with a summary of the action steps all parties will be taking.
• Keep a log of all of your parent interactions in the student’s file.

Being prepared to work with parents helps ensure your student’s success. Involved parents don’t have to be negative. A bit of coaching on your part will go a long way.

Your ability to work with parents as partners impacts your retention and your bottom line. The more you focus on meeting the needs of this generation of hovering parents, the greater your referrals and renewals will be. Your program and your pocket will thank you.