Helicopter Parenting Can Help Children Recover From Concussions

No matter how motivated a concussed individual is to achieve recovery, they rarely have the capacity to follow the treatment regimen, which involves drastic lifestyle changes affecting their daily screen exposure, shifting circadian rhythms, intellectual stimulation, and the cognitive demands of school or work. The intriguing and undeniable result was a patient who recovered more swiftly and with fewer complications or setbacks when compared with their independent counterparts. The helicopter parent  actively reinforces the details, effectively guiding an incremental and purposeful exposure to stimuli. The parent also validates the recovery process as an active coach, facilitating and motivating the path ahead.

Concussion recovery is best accomplished using a systematic and methodical approach. Each advancement toward complete recovery is closely calibrated whether it be bedtime, the number of minutes of breaks between screen exposure, or even the heart rate at which the first cardiovascular exercise is attempted. A helicopter parent can be taught and also encouraged by their child’s doctor to maintain strict sleep and waking schedules, specific protein-based meals, drastically reduce screen time, supervising exercise, and with a constant willingness to adjust specific circumstances of exposure to monitor recovery.