Should Parents Allow their Children to Make their Own Decisions?

Being a teen means we are responsible enough to make our own decisions, but not enough to run our own lives. Many people, including adults and children, do not understand this. The debate of should parents allow their children to make their own decisions, is still going on and people must understand the meaning of this question and why it is a big problem.

Parents should allow their children to make decisions on their own so they learn how to make them. If parents never let their children make their own decisions, then the children will never be able to make decisions later in life due to lack of practise. If they do not develop skills in decision making while young children will greatly suffer.

If parents allow their children to make decisions in their childhood, not only will they learn how to make good decisions but they will also learn the consequences of bad choices before having to go through them in and ruining their life when older. These way children can go through regret and consequences, in a healthy moderation that will benefit later in life.

When parents allow their kids some freedom and decision than they will develop their anayalitical thinking. However, if parents always guide their children’s lives and organize their lives for them, once the children graduate and move out those children will not be able to manage. Those kids have become so dependent on their parents that they need them always to do everything for them.

This does not mean that parents should let their kids do anything they want. Teens should have boundaries, and be guided by their parents. However, having a bit of “wiggle room” will go a long way later when it matters.

There are many ways to raise kids but it is also a good idea to trust kids until they prove otherwise. Many parents and adults think teens and adolescents are stupid and naive but it all depends on the situation and the child.  If a child does make the wrong decision, (i.e.: A teen goes to a late party on a school night regardless the parents forbidding) then they should be punished. This way, that child would learn from that mistake and see how not listening to your parents is a very serious thing.

Research shows that there is a part of the human brain that you are born with that is used when making decisions.  If at early stages in life that part of the brain is not used then it will simply "cancel out" and stop working. Therefore, by parents not allowing their children to make decisions, as simple as what they will wear the next day, they are doing sever damage to their future.

It is a known fact teens posses rebellion, may it be because of puberty or racing hormones every teen has it. If a parent forces their child into making a decision that they are against, the child may rebel and push farther away from the parent. This is a waste of time because when this happens, the child's decision maybe fuelled by anger instead of critical thinking.

By letting teens make their own decisions, it builds relationships and trust. When parents give their kids this freedom they feel trusted and they can’t help but put trust into their parents too. This way it builds a healthy relationship between parents and children.

There are advantages of free decision-making but what is the point of allowing a child experience sadness, regret and guilt while not even old enough to make decisions.

If parents give teens the freedom in making decisions they will take advantage of their freedom. Many parents may think, “Alright ill let her decide if she wants to go to that party, what the worst that could happen is? I know the parents, the home is close and she will be back before 1 am.” Next thing they know is they are getting a call to the police department. `Jenny’ was found drunk at the party discovered by a noise complaint. They were unsupervised (while the parents were out of town) and she was underage while the rest were in their twenties. No matter how great the kid they will find a way and take advantage of this choice.

Since teens are not matured enough to deal with the true realities of real life the usually do not think of the effects of their actions when making a decision. They will think it is simple and rush to a decision, on that is not rational. This decision may seem good at the time but later on they will realize the consequences, one that could have been avoided with the guidance of a parent.

Although parents owe to their children to experience everything possible, letting children decide on every decision all the time is an irrational thing to do. Taking into consideration both the pros and cons for letting children decide all decisions, the conclusion was made that teens should make most decisions and with the higher the intensity the more parents guidance added. This way the child/ teen would become a responsible adult due to the practise in making their own decisions and in witnessing good decisions being made by their parents.  As a wise man once said, “Practice makes perfect.”