A helicopter parent is a term for a person who pays extremely close attention to his or her chil or children, particularly at educational institutions. They rush to prevent any harm or failure from befalling them or letting them learn from their own mistakes, sometimes even contrary to the children's wishes. They are so named because, like a helicopter, they hover closely overhead, rarely out of reach whether their children need them or not. In Scandinavia, this phenomenon is known as curling parenthood - describing parents who sweep all obstacles off ahead of their children.