Joystick Parenting

As with video games, joystick parents want to dictate and control every aspect of the children's lives. Hence the term ‘joystick’. However, there is very little joy to be had by children when they are parented in this manner.

Can also be high-schoolers, or even in some depressing cases, college students living at home.

Nate's parents use joystick parenting because they keep track of his bank records, ground him from his phone, listen to all his voicemails, check his e-mail, check his facebook messages, get copies of his work schedule, check his phone records to make sure he is working at those times, control where he is allowed to drive, and also control which girls he is allowed to date, or even allowed to talk to for that matter.

Joystick Parenting by fifafriedman May 3, 2010