Children often complain about the control that their parents have over them. They feel constrained, irritated and resentful. Do the children have a case? Is the control exercised by parents justifiable?
Many parents set up rules for their children to follow. Children are told how many hours they can spend in front of the television, what kind of CDs they can buy and how long they can stay away from home after school and on weekends. Some parents also assign household chores to their children.
Such strict control no doubt helps discipline the children. Most young children do accept this control. They see their parents as loving and caring. Parental supervision, in fact, gives them a sense of security. In the early years of the children’s lives, their parents are the most important people in their world. The love, approval and support of their parents are critical to them.
The problem comes when children grow in to teenagers. That is when they are trying to behave like adults. They want to be independent and at the same time, maintain a close relationship with their parents. Unfortunately, their desire to be independent may be seen by some parents as a rejection of parental control. What then is the solution?
Perhaps parents should realize that there is nothing wrong in the teenagers’ desire to be independent. This happens in every family. Parents should accept their teenagers as individuals who can make their own decisions. This may be difficult for parents who are used to making all the decisions in the family but it is inevitable. Children grow up and then make their own decision.
Vocabulary
Constrained—restricted
Resentful—full of resent
Rejection—denied
Inevitable—sure to happen
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