Your child's departure for college is a big step. But the journey from cradle to campus is filled with countless little steps-each an opportunity to prepare for letting go. Many times helicopter parents think that they are helping their child succeed in life by being involved in almost every aspect of their life.  However, what is going to happen when the parents are no longer available.  We have all heard stories of parents bombarding teachers, coaches, college admission officers, professors and even employers on their child's behalf. 
One has to wonder whether these parents have a life of their own or whether their whole sense of being is wrapped up in their child. 
Sometimes a child learns more in failure but there still has to be some education to help them through the journey.  

To get started:  Take a deep breath. Give your child a chance to work things out.  Don't rush in at every little sign that things aren't going as planned.  If the child doesn't get the chance to problem solve early on then they will have even more trouble as their problems grow in complexity as they get older. Learning to have patience and working through things may be frustrating to your toddler and it may seem
easier to rush in and help them out, but the lessons they learn will pay dividends later on. Many parents think that their job is to keep their child from experiencing any sense of sadness.  However, learning to handle frustration on their own is an important first step to learning to problem solve when the answer doesn't appear right away.