# I pit helicopter parents
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-helicopter-parents/693434
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [July 18, 2014, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-helicopter-parents/693434 "2014-07-18T08:16:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 6
### Author:  [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2014, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-helicopter-parents/693434/101 "2014-08-13T19:04:04Z")
[quote=“Rune, post:72, topic:693434”]
[/QUOTE]
OMQ! I laughed so hard at the end of that video.
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2014, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-helicopter-parents/693434/102 "2014-08-13T19:23:49Z")
> [@adaher](#):
>
> Scotland passes a law giving every child their own government-appointed professional guardian. This is the logical slippery slope of an overprotective society towards children. Since some parents can’t be trusted, all parents should be considered unfit. Guess what the next step after that is? Licensing requirements.
>
> [Controversial child guardian plan will go ahead, says minister - BBC News](http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-28078483)
>
> But never fear! Proponents assure citizens that parents don’t have to accept help or take advice from the professional guardian. there will never be any repercussions for disregarding the advice of the government-appointed professional. And if you believe that…
>
> [Child guardian plan faces legal challenge from Christian group - BBC News](http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-26748830)
If you believe that… what? You _don’t_ sue to block the plan? Your synopsis doesn’t seem very accurate, incidentally.
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### Author:  [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2014, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-helicopter-parents/693434/103 "2014-10-28T01:13:20Z")
I could have sworn I posted this at the time, but…never mind.
I’d just like to provide the contemporary guidelines for infant care in Scandinavia: if the baby is properly dressed and out of direct wind (in a enclosed carriage or whatever) then the cutoff for bringing them outside is -10 degrees centigrade. Not because the exposed face will be in any danger (it won’t), but because any colder than that will be hard for the babies _lungs_ to handle.
Properly dressed is something like at least two layers of thin pure wool or wool blends, as well as the aforementioned _flyverdragt_, _voksipose_ (or other brand) or a hand-knit driving bag (basically a sweater attached to sleeping bag).
Typicall baby clothes are [something](http://www.guttelus.no/babyklaer-0-2-ar-pa-nett/heldrakt-sparkedrakt-til-baby/hust-claire-barneklaer-heldrakt-ull-til-baby-med-stjernemonster-brun-beige.html)[like](http://www.guttelus.no/joha-barneklaer-heldrakt-i-ull-20783.html)[these](http://www.guttelus.no/babyklaer-0-2-ar-pa-nett/body/hust-claire-barneklaer-body-ull-til-baby-med-elger-bla.html). (These are fairly high end brands, if the price seems off).
So a baby will be wearing 1 woolen body without sleeves, one with sleeves, an outer suit with legs, pants(trousers)/socks and a _flyverdrakt_/sleeping bag/driving bag.
Oh, and all Scandinavian babies get vitamin D supplements from 2 weeks old, and iron supplements from 6 months old, both until 2 years old. (I’d specify “breastfed babies”, but they’re almost all breastfed).
For crafty folks, this is appropriate outerwear for a baby: [zzz-jumpsuit](http://www.pickles.no/zzz-jumpsuit/)
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### Author:  [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2014, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-helicopter-parents/693434/104 "2014-10-28T01:18:31Z")
> [@Septima](#):
>
> For crafty folks, this is appropriate outerwear for a baby: [zzz-jumpsuit](http://www.pickles.no/zzz-jumpsuit/)
Alright, who’s the clever motherfucker who’ll help me scale that pattern up to, say, a 6-foot tall adult? Because damn.
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### Author:  [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-helicopter-parents/693434/105 "2014-10-28T01:45:23Z")
if you mean it, the pattern is quite basic - you really just need to figure out how many stitches go around your chest, arms and legs, then follow directions as described. It’ll be expensive as hell though 🙂
Alternately, if it doesn’t have to be wool, here you go: [OnePiece](http://www.onepiece.com/en-us/)
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### Author:  [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2014, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-helicopter-parents/693434/106 "2014-10-28T03:02:51Z")
> [@andros](#):
>
> Ohhhhkay. Is the idea of wearing warm clothes as protection from the cold that alien to you, though? I mean, I’m not saying you’re a delicate flower, but damn. You do realize that people live in North Dakota, right?
If you call that living. ☹
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### Author:  [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2014, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-helicopter-parents/693434/107 "2014-10-28T04:42:06Z")
> [@Septima](#):
>
> I’d just like to provide the contemporary guidelines for infant care in Scandinavia: if the baby is properly dressed and out of direct wind (in a enclosed carriage or whatever) then the cutoff for bringing them outside is -10 degrees centigrade. Not because the exposed face will be in any danger (it won’t), but because any colder than that will be hard for the babies _lungs_ to handle.
My son was a winter baby, and breastfed. It was cold that winter, but his doctor said if we could get him outside everyday between 11am and 4pm for at least 20 minutes with his face exposed (as long as the windchill was above something I don’t remember, but she was very specific), we could avoid giving him vitamin D drops. As it happened, he needed a little formula supplement, so for his first five weeks, he got about 4ozs of formula a day, and got some D that way too.
It turned out to be a cold winter, after being a hot summer (which was just really fun when you’re pregnant). When we dressed the boychik to go out when it was below freezing, he was in a soft, short-sleeve onesie, a waffle-knit union suit (long legs and sleeves), socks, a sleeper, and a snow suit. He survived it just fine, and now he likes cold weather. He can play outside in the snow forever. Also, no rickets.
He’s a really big kid, who started on cereal when he was only four months old (fruit & veggies at five, yogurt at six) so he’s never needed any vitamin supplements.
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### Author:  [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2014, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-helicopter-parents/693434/108 "2014-10-28T15:47:48Z")
> [@andros](#):
>
> Ohhhhkay. Is the idea of wearing warm clothes as protection from the cold that alien to you, though? I mean, I’m not saying you’re a delicate flower, but damn. You do realize that people live in North Dakota, right?
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#):
>
> If you call that living. ☹
Have you ever been out here? We live pretty damn well out here.
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### Author:  [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2014, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-helicopter-parents/693434/109 "2014-10-28T15:55:34Z")
Clearly the cold has gotten to you.
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### Author:  [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2014, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-helicopter-parents/693434/110 "2014-10-28T15:58:49Z")
I love the cold and despise hot. So I guess it has.
😃
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### Author:  [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2014, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-helicopter-parents/693434/111 "2014-10-28T16:01:44Z")
**Kimballkid** …we’re all here because we love you and we think you have a problem. We want you to be healthy and safe, and we feel that you need to realize that you have a problem.
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### Author:  [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2014, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-helicopter-parents/693434/112 "2014-10-28T16:07:03Z")
Come to the dark side, we have snow!!
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### Author:  [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-helicopter-parents/693434/113 "2014-10-28T16:09:26Z")
Right, see, that’s what we’re talking about.
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### Author:  [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2014, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-helicopter-parents/693434/114 "2014-10-28T21:40:44Z")
I love the cold! Why, there were a few weeks last year when not only did I wear a T-shirt, sweatshirt _and_ jacket, I actually zipped the sweatshirt up! (My jacket’s zipper broke 5 years ago; I haven’t felt the need to fix it). It was so cold I had to wear socks indoors!
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### Author:  [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2014, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-helicopter-parents/693434/115 "2014-10-28T22:13:08Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#):
>
> Come to the dark side, we have snow!!
Ooh, don’t forget the six-hour winter days!
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### Author:  [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-helicopter-parents/693434/116 "2014-10-28T23:34:23Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#):
>
> Come to the dark side, we have snow!!
Do me a favour and blow it a bit to the north-east of you. I’m sitting in here in Thunder Bay with three seasons’ passes, lots of hills, but no snow yet. No brrrrr, just GRRRRRRR.
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### Author:  [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2014, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-helicopter-parents/693434/117 "2014-10-29T02:52:48Z")
Well, we really don’t have snow yet. We did earlier but it melted right away.
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### Author:  [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2014, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-helicopter-parents/693434/118 "2014-10-29T04:04:28Z")
North Dakota is the resting place of [Sondre (Auverson) Norheim](http://www.scandinavianheritage.org/images/norheim_a500.jpg), the greatest skier ever, bar none. He developed the first heel binding and the first sidecut ski, out of which we now have skis that turn. He gave the world the Telemark turn, named after his home region, and the Christie turn (now know as the parallel turn), named after the location of the first World Skiing Championships. He won the first World Ski Jumping Championships, and he won the first World Skiing Championships. He had to ski a couple of hundred kilometers over three days just to get there.
He was also a loving father. It isn’t too hard to imagine what he would have though of helicopter parenting.
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