Journals / Anatolian Current Medical Journal / 2026 / Volume: 8 Issue: 5

Associations between parents’ perceived childhood experiences of helicopter parenting and their current parent-child relationships: a cross-sectional study

Edanur Tar Bolacalı(KIRŞEHİR AHİ EVRAN ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0001-8821-8554
Bahar Aksoy(AKDENIZ UNIVERSITY)0000-0003-0466-5918
Pages
—
Publication Date
2026-09-11
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

These findings may inform the development of future parent education programs and family-centered nursing interventions aimed at increasing awareness of parenting experiences.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Aims: This study aimed to examine the association between parents’ recalled childhood experiences of helicopter parenting and their current parent-child relationships.
📊
Key Findings & Data:Data were collected using the “Parent and Child Introduction Form” the “Helicopter Parent Attitudes Scale (HPAS),” and the “Parent-Child Relationship Scale (PCRS).” Data were analyzed using SPSS 29.0 software.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:These findings may inform the development of future parent education programs and family-centered nursing interventions aimed at increasing awareness of parenting experiences.
🔬Design:Modeling & Simulation
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Childhood experiences · parent-child relations · parenting

Abstract

Aims: This study aimed to examine the association between parents’ recalled childhood experiences of helicopter parenting and their current parent-child relationships. Methods: This cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted in a province in Central Anatolia, Turkiye, using a multicenter design in family health centers. Data were collected using the “Parent and Child Introduction Form” the “Helicopter Parent Attitudes Scale (HPAS),” and the “Parent-Child Relationship Scale (PCRS).” Data were analyzed using SPSS 29.0 software. Results: Higher levels of recalled helicopter parenting were associated with poorer parent-child relationship quality. Mothers reported higher recalled maternal and paternal helicopter parenting scores than fathers. Recalled helicopter parenting scores were significantly associated with educational level, employment status, income perception, parental age, and birth order. A negative relationship was also identified between helicopter parenting and the positive PCRS (p<0.05). The study found that a multiple linear regression model including various variables explained 45.5% of the variance in the total score on the Positive PCRS and that the model was statistically highly significant (R2:0.462, AdjR2:0.455, p<0.001). Conclusion: As a result, the findings suggest that parents’ recalled childhood experiences of helicopter parenting may be associated with their current parent-child relationship patterns and that higher levels of perceived helicopter parenting were associated with poorer parent-child relationship quality. These findings may inform the development of future parent education programs and family-centered nursing interventions aimed at increasing awareness of parenting experiences.

🔖

Cite This Article

Bolacalı, E. T., Aksoy, B. (2026). Associations between parents’ perceived childhood experiences of helicopter parenting and their current parent-child relationships: a cross-sectional study. Anatolian Current Medical Journal, Volume: 8 Issue: 5. https://doi.org/10.38053/acmj.1974373

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (29)

  1. Cui M, Darling CA, Coccia C, Fincham FD, May RW. Indulgent parenting, helicopter parenting, and well-being of parents and emerging adults. J Child Fam Stud. 2019;28(3):860-871. doi:10.1007/s10826-018-01314-3
  2. McCoy SS, Dimler LM, Rodrigues L. Parenting in overdrive: a meta-analysis of helicopter parenting across multiple indices of emerging adult functioning. J Adult Dev. 2025;32(3):222-245. doi:10.1007/s10804-024-09496-5
  3. Hwang W, Jung E. Helicopter parenting versus autonomy-supportive parenting? A latent class analysis of parenting among emerging adults and their psychological and relational well-being. Emerging Adulthood. 2022;10(3):731-743. doi:10.1177/21676968211000498
  4. Ata S, Oztekin GG. The moderator effect of internal prosocial behaviors on the relationship between helicopter parenting and external prosocial behaviors. Buca Fac Edu J. 2024;(61):1827-1843. doi:10.53444/deubefd.1389349
  5. Türker M, Bahçeci F. New generation parenting attitude: helicopter parenting. CRES J. 2024;5(1):45-56. doi:10.59320/alanyazin.1452153
  6. Fitzgerald KS. Helicopter parenting and parent-child attachment. Honors thesis. James Madison University; 2015.
  7. Harel G, Finzi-Dottan R. Childhood maltreatment and its effect on parenting among high-risk parents. J Child Fam Stud. 2018;27(5):1513-1524. doi:10.1007/s10826-017-0994-z
  8. Gomes SB, Deuling JK. Family influence mediates the relation between helicopter-parenting and millennial work attitudes. J Manag Psychol. 2019;34(1):2-17. doi:10.1108/JMP-12-2017-0450
  9. Liu M, Chen J, Qiu J, Chen W, Tang S, Zhou Z. The chain mediating role of consolidated helicopter parenting and impulsivity in the physical activity to adolescent aggressive behavior. Sci Rep. 2025;15(1):45565. doi:10.1038/s41598-025-28567-5
  10. Wang H, Wang X, Meng F, Wang H. Too much is not enough: a cross-lagged study of helicopter parenting, parent-child attachment, and adolescents’ depressive symptoms [preprint]. Research Square; 2025. doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-7360687/v1
  11. Turan FD, Yilmaz R, Isik M, et al. Bireylerin algıladıkları helikopter ebeveyn tutumlarının yordayıcısı olarak ebeveynleşme durumları. Akd Nurs J. 2024;2(3):88-98. doi:10.59398/ahd.1374219
  12. Karabulut EO. Examination of perceived helicopter parent attitudes and psychological resilience levels in adolescent athletes. Gazi JPESS. 2024; 29(3):134-143. doi:10.53434/gbesbd.1447297
  13. Hwang W, Jung E. Parenting practices, parent-child relationship, and perceived academic control in college students. J Adult Dev. 2021;28(1): 37-49. doi:10.1007/s10804-020-09346-0
  14. Vigdal JS, Brønnick KK. A systematic review of helicopter parenting and its relationship with anxiety and depression. Front Psychol. 2022;13: 872981. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.872981
  15. Wang Y, Hawk ST. Adolescent-mother agreements and discrepancies in reports of helicopter parenting: associations with perceived conflict and support. J Youth Adolesc. 2023;52(12):2480-2493. doi:10.1007/s10964-023-01831-5
  16. Yılmaz H. A good parent is not always the parent who does everything, every time for his/her child: a study to develop Helicopter Parent Attitude/s Scale (HPAS). J Early Child Stud. 2019;3(1):3-31. doi:10.24130/eccd-jecs.1967201931114
  17. Hetherington EM, Clingempeel WG, Anderson ER, et al. Coping with marital transitions: a family systems perspective. Monogr Soc Res Child Dev. 1992;57(2-3):i-238. doi:10.2307/1166050
  18. Aytaç B, Çen S, Yüceol GP. Ebeveyn-çocuk ilişkisi ölçeğinin Türkçe uyarlaması: geçerlilik ve güvenilirlik çalışması. Turk J Child Adolesc Ment Health. 2018;25(3):209-221.
  19. Cohen J. Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. 2nd ed. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates; 1988.
  20. Yilmaz H. Türkiyede helikopter ebeveynlik eğilimi ve helikopter ebeveynlerin demografik özellikleri. J Soc Policy Stud. 2020;20(46):133-160. doi:10.21560/spcd.v20i54504.540233
  21. Susen Y, Pak H, Cevik E. Helicopter parenting, self-control, and problematic online gaming in emerging adults. JCPR. 2022;6(3):331-341. doi:10.5455/kpd.26024438m000071
  22. Bradley-Geist JC, Olson-Buchanan JB. Helicopter parents: an examination of the correlates of over-parenting of college students. Edu Train. 2014;56(4):314-328. doi:10.1108/ET-10-2012-0096
  23. Arlinghaus KR, Hahn SL, Larson N, Eisenberg ME, Berge JM, Neumark-Sztainer D. Helicopter parenting among socioeconomically and ethnically/racially diverse emerging adults: associations with weight-related behaviors. Emerg Adulthood. 2023;11(4):909-922. doi:10.1177/21676968231171317
  24. Sampasa-Kanyinga H, Goldfield GS, Kingsbury M, Clayborne Z, Colman I. Social media use and parent-child relationship: a cross-sectional study of adolescents. J Community Psychol. 2020;48(3):793-803. doi:10.1002/jcop.22293
  25. Akkuş S. Ebeveyn çocuk ilişkisinin 48-72 aylık çocukların sosyal problem çözme becerileri arasındaki farklılaşmanın incelenmesi. Master’s thesis. İstanbul Gelişim Üniversitesi Lisansüstü Eğitim Enstitüsü; 2022.
  26. Kaya AG, Buğa A. Anne babaların ebeveyn davranışlarının ve evlilik doyumlarının incelenmesi. Sos Politika Çalışma Derg. 2021;21(51):371-410. doi:10.21560/spcd.vi.645465
  27. Jia X, Li P, Xie Y. Longitudinal effect of the parent-child relationship in home quarantine on internalizing and externalizing problems after school reopening for students in boarding high school: a chain mediation model. Psychol Sch. 2024;61(6):2338-2358. doi:10.1002/pits.23166
  28. Kırman A, Doğan O. Parent-child relationships: a meta-synthesis study. Hacettepe Univ Fac Health Sci J. 2017;4(1):28-49.
  29. Kaya E, Cesur E. Parental behaviors and educational levels in relation to children’s perceptual skills: a cross-sectional study. Buca Fac Edu J. 2025;(65):2802-2821. doi:10.53444/deubefd.1562323