Rhetorical Analysis: Helicopter Parenting

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Helicopter parenting 1. Outline Parenting is a very controversial subject. Everybody has an opinion as to what is the ideal way of raising your child, and many prefer for people not to interfere in this decision, but what if you’re doing it the wrong way and in reality causing more harm than good? The term “helicopter parents” is known for it’s negative reputation as it typically describes a parenting style that is focused around patterns of being “overcontrolling, overprotecting and overperfecting.” According to Julie Lythcott-Haims, the author of “Helicpoter parenting is a trap. It’s time to break free” this way of parenting is causing significant harm, as kids aren’t getting prepared for the challenges that will be thrown their way. …show more content…

Analysis First and foremost, Haydn Shaw engages the reader by presenting some extreme cases of helicopter parenting and stating that he isn’t a fan of this parenting style. However, he then goes on to tell us that being an involved and engaged parent isn’t a negative thing and gives a further explanation as to why he believes this. Alone the fact that he starts of by stating: “I’m not a fan of helicopter parents”, can make readers with the same attitude identify with him, which will make it easier for him to persuade them with his logic later and eventually change their opinion. In addition to that he manages to use some ethos as his opening line is: “In the workshop I teach on generational differences.” This gives him some sort of authority and the reader is then persuaded to listen to his arguments, because he has some knowledge around this subject. Which he does again, when he writes: “As I say in my book,” again he seems knowledgeable and even trustworthy as we believe he must then have some good points to then be qualified to write a book about this topic. This will make the reader feel inclined to consider taking his views and agreeing with him. Also the fact that he is a parent himself makes him more trustworthy as he should be