I would have the parent describe why they feel that the child needs help with everything. You could ask how you could be of more help to the student? You could tell them why the student needs to do this on their own.

I have read that it is best to have a talk with the child and ask how they feel about certain situations that the parent has a problem with. Once you can clear some possible confusion up with the child, you can give a call to the parents and explain the situation in a ways that is calm and positive. It is best to keep in mind that you want to help the child learn and grow and want to stay positive towards the parent.

I would let the parent know how much you value their student. That their student is intelligent and capable of big things. However, I would tell the parent that keeping this in mind, it will be the student's individual work that will show and grow their intelligence. Also, let the parent know that you respect how involved they are in their child's education.

I would definitely have a private conference with this parent and assure them that you value their student but that you both need to work as a team to make sure the student understands that they need their independence.

All you can do is present the facts to the parent and try and communicate everything in a delicate yet, useful and understanding way. Maybe switching the way you're presenting these complications to the parent may help.

Just make it clear to that parent that their child is simply not perfect. Every child makes mistakes and that is a part of growing up.

It's scary to think that there can be a "students word against the teachers word" dynamic but that's reality so the best thing you can do is your job. Know that you are doing what's legal, what's in your job description, and what's ethical.