So-called "helicopter parents" have taken a lot of hits in recent years for being too over-involved in their children's lives, and not letting their fledglings learn to fly on their own.
But as a recent post from LinkedIn senior vice president Pat Wadors notes, all grown children can still benefit from specific parental expertise — but most never get it.
"Looking back, there have been clear moments and milestones in my career when their help would have been useful but I didn’t ask, and they didn’t offer," wrote Wadors.
She offered up some surprising stats:
- For 69 percent of employees, career advice stops when they get their first job.
- 66 percent wished their parents had offered up much needed guidance on a specific career issues.
- 45 percent of parents often find themselves with an opinion to offer, but refrain from sharing.
- 55 percent of parents admit to not being very familiar with what their child does for a living.
That's prompted Wadors and LinkedIn to kick off "Bring in Your Parents Day" on Nov. 5, in which grown adults show their moms and dads what they do in their jobs and possibly get some solid advice.
That said, "Whilst it would be useful to talk through certain problems or issues I face in my working life, I don’t want them to become over-involved," wrote Wadors, who wants 2015 to be the "Year of the Lighthouse Parent."
Balance in everything!