Greetings, and Happy September! I am back at my desk after a wonderful summer with family and friends, at home and on the road.
If you’ve got school-aged kids, I hope your family is settling into the rhythm of a new school year. If your kids are younger—or you’re an empty nester—I hope you’re finding your own “goodbye summer, hello productive September” groove. I’m working on it!
A recent New York Times article by David French, How Did the Latchkey Kids of Gen X Become the Helicopter Parents of Gen Z?, really resonated with me.
French fondly recalls his childhood of playing outside with friends, with little parental supervision and lots of grit-building independence.
While he remembers it as blissful, he acknowledges that many Gen X’ers felt the loneliness and chaos of growing up as latchkey kids.
Many of us Gen X’ers, determined to do better for our kids, swung in the opposite direction: pouring in lots of love and attention, but sometimes overscheduling and overmanaging. The result? A generation with lots of anxious kids.
French suggests a middle path:
It’s worth considering another way, where a greater degree of independence becomes an element of our careful, intensive parenting…We endeavor to create a solid home base even as we swallow our anxieties and fears and let them roam — a bit more each year, until they’ve grown fully into the freedom they need.
Or as I like to call it: The Ground Control Parenting way.
What Ground Control Parenting Looks Like:
✅ Values Focused
We pour in our values and our culture—not just fill their schedules with activities and events. Those values and that culture become their compass.
✅ Presence without pressure
We’re there—but we’re not in the way. We build a home where kids want to land after venturing out.
✅ Freedom with guidance
We let them take risks while making sure they know who they are and where they came from.
✅ Preparation over Protection
We don’t shield them from every bump. We equip them with the tools to handle turbulence.
As French writes, “The home becomes both a launchpad and a landing zone.”
Exactly. That’s our mission. And here at Ground Control Parenting, we provide the resources, info, and inspiration to make this happen.
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If you’ve been feeling the tension—between protecting your child and letting them grow—you’re not alone. You’re not wrong. And you’re not failing.
But maybe it’s time to shift the model:
From micromanaging school projects to asking what they think success looks like, and helping them achieve their visions
From running ahead to clear every obstacle to walking beside them as they learn to navigate their way
Let’s stop hovering. Let’s stop letting them fully fend for themselves. Let’s focus on what we need to do on that tarmac: the groundwork—fueling, guiding, and preparing our kids to soar.
Looking Ahead
I’ve been reflecting on values-focused parenting—what it means and how we can practice it—and what my podcast guests (past and future) can contribute to this conversation.
As we focus on the key values we want our kids to have and learn how best to instill and develop them, we gain the confidence and calm we need to stay steady on the roller-coaster of parenting. More to come on this, next week and beyond!
In the meantime, be sure to catch up on any podcast episodes you missed, and watch this space (and IG and TikTok) for upcoming highlights from some of my favorite episodes. Lots of good stuff ahead!
SO grateful to Paramount for its sponsorship and to Seneca Women Podcast Network for their support. And of course, most of all—thank YOU for being part of the Ground Control Parenting crew.
Enjoy,
Love this !