“Margo was in tears.” My friend and I were talking by the pool last summer. “Her son is going to college this fall. She’s so worried about him. ‘What will he do?’ she said. ‘How will he survive? I have to tell him when it’s time to eat.’”

Margo is a helicopter mom—a mom who hovers over her children from beginning to end.

Recently, my daughter Addy had a mild bout with the flu. Over a long weekend, we cuddled on the couch and watched movies. One in particular, The Ultimate Gift, caught my attention, and not because it boasted big name actors from my youth like James Garner, Lee Meriweather and Brian Dennehy.

Columnist Allyn Evans explains how this movie helped illustrate the importance of finishing a job to her daughter.