A parental relationship is like a dog leash. It’s meant to keep you safe and comfortable, but if it’s too tight, it can be detrimental.

Not the best analogy, I know. But when you think about the «isms» of helicopter parents, you usually think of a leash. Trying to control every aspect of a child’s life, whether they are still children or are now adults, will never amount to much. Sure, every child needs guidance in every phase of their life; they’re living it for the first time. When you start suffocating them and expect them to do everything for you at the drop of a hat, though, you might end up destroying your relationship, all because you couldn’t understand boundaries.

That’s the key to a functional, healthy relationship: boundaries. Back then, children were taught to respect their elders, that their parents didn’t need to do anything for them, and they were doing it out of the kindness in their hearts. Spoiler alert: When you decide to have a child, doing the bare minimum for them isn’t something you can use as collateral later in life. Parents should parent their children. Should a child drop everything they’ve built in their adult lives to do the same for their parents? Debatable. Scroll below to read a story with this exact dilemma.