(n.) -- A method of parenting which is similar to the way a child holds a balloon, in which parents allow their children to rise like a helium-filled balloon and float on their own, while at the same time making sure that their growing sons and daughters have a strong grasp on the string so that they do not float away to unknown parts.
"My parents were good to me, and they raised me with helium parenting ideas. They gave me a lot of freedom when I was a child but they were always there for me, too. I loved being a balloon and yet I was glad they made sure I was holding on to the string."

overheard at a watercooler in the hallway at Temple Beth Shalom in
Toronto, Janary 31, 2012
by PRwiz101 March 16, 2012
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