Helicopter Parent

Had to deal with a unique situation this afternoon. I've been in contact with a woman whose child is has paid a deposit to go on the trip. However, s/he is not an official student, so there is some red tape to wade through. And they ran into some typical bureaucratic stuff (closed offices, run around, etc). However, it's been all the mom dealing with it. The child has only sent me one email. The mother has emailed at least twice a week for the past three or four weeks. Finally, I emailed my mind (I've made some changes for privacy):

I listened to the voice mail. I appreciate your efforts. I am a bit concerned that you are doing all of the work and ---- isn't taking the initiative. I understand -- is in ----but s/he should be the one doing this legwork. If I am going out of country with students, I need to know they can handle things on their own because s/he is not going to have you, or me for that matter, to handle these types of situations. I do these trips because my typical community college student needs this opportunity to mature and take responsibility for his/her life; study abroad is often his/her first experience of true independence. The first step in this journey is dealing with the red tape prior to leaving. I would suggest that you have ---- take more of an active role in this process; it will be better for all involved.

Once an appointment is made, let me know who it is with and we will figure out how to get the paperwork to you or the counselor.