I recently read a rather interesting article by a 14-year-old blogger over on CafeMoms, called 3 Things Parents Should Let Their Daughters Do Before They Turn 16.
As the mother of teenagers, I am not so sure that any 14 year old girl or boy should be getting “tatted up” {for those of you over a certain age I mean “getting tattoos”}. However, I do believe that the young author makes a solid argument for allowing teenagers the opportunity to make some life choices before they get to 16 or 18.
By allowing teens to make their own choices about dating, make-up, extracurricular activities, and other things that matter to them, parents encourage critical thinking and independence- two traits that are key to transitioning into a productive and healthy adult life. Making “bad” choices {like dating a not-so-nice guy or trying to wear too much eyeliner or watching a questionable movie} while still under the care of loving parents gives teens a chance to make errors while still having a safety net to help them change course and find the right path.
Check out the article below and let us know what you think? Are these good ideas? What would you add to the list?
Teenagers are running wild, from what I hear. But kids wouldn’t have to sneak around behind their parents’ backs and do things that got them in trouble if they just had a little more freedom to do the things they really want to do.
I’m 14 years old and that age means absolutely nothing. I have to wait until I’m 16 to do everything. I thought once I got into the ninth grade, I wouldn’t feel like a kid anymore. Wrong. Wroooooong. I have two more years before I can do just about anything I want to do, but I personally feel like kids should be able to do whatever they please (within reason) as long as their parents educate them about the dangers of the outside world and how to behave. Restricting kids makes them want to rebel and act crazy. I haven’t tried it. I’ve just heard things. read the full article here…
Esther
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They should be able to make “guided” choices. It’s the job of parents during this stage in a teens life to help them transition from childhood to adulthood. Or from having choices made for them, to learning how to make good choices for themselves.