So, is it a matter of the parent(s) living vicariously through their children? Probably a little. You usually see this in sports and, when older, in other pursuits when the athlete doesn't pan out. How often do you hear parents say, "My son is a doctor," or, "My daughter just got accepted into Harvard Law," or, "He was MVP of his team." Sure, the parents should take some of the credit but if that is all they have in their lives, they are often grasping for any kind of validation.

In doing this, a lot of parents are setting their kids up for failure or lifelong dependency. We are seeing a lot of this at this time because college applications are coming in. It is not unusual for a parent to fill out the application for their child. I guess that this is because the child is either lazy, uninterested in the school, or the parent thinks they know how to do it best. I had a friend who got into the college he wanted only because his mom did all the work on the app. My boss received a call from a parent who thought their kid would have a hard time going off to school on their own and wanted the number of the local real estate office so they could buy a house and move up to the area. He suggested that maybe the student should attend a junior college and live at home a bit longer.

These parents think they are looking out for their children and giving them the things they didn't have. Hopefully, most of these kids will do well despite their parent's "help." Most will just be screwed up and I bet the parents will blame most everyone but themselves.

Fer"Too many examples to name"rick