Ahh, the how much is too much debate continues.

When Chris Early’s eight-year-old daughter Katie asked if she could walk to school alone, he said yes and sent her on her way. But she wasn’t technically alone.

Hovering above her while she walked with her friends was her father’s drone, watching every move she made. Smart dad? Embarrassing dad? Obsessive overbearing dad? We think he’s kind of ridiculous, in a funny way.

From the comfort of his home, the Tennessee father watched his daughter trundle along safely. Katie didn’t know the drone was following her and was “pretty surprised” when she found out about it—we would be too if a drone was lurking about and eyeing us from above. (Whispers of the drone being comparable to Lord Sauron’s all-seeing eye and 1984‘s Big Brother have been detected around the office.)

Early told a reporter that he just wanted his daughter to know that “daddy’s always watching.” Yikes… Move over “helicopter parenting,” “drone parenting” is coming through.

Read more:
The trouble with helicopter parenting>
Getting to school safely>