Trust us, insist youngsters
Ulster teenagers say parents must trust their children more and prepare them to deal with the world we live in.
| Parents are responsible for training their children to be grown-ups. |
Against a backdrop of violence and child abuse, parents are becoming increasingly worried about letting their children out of their sight. And this can translate into imposing strict rules which can breed tension and friction in the home.
But young people argue that if parents keep them "away from the real world" they will have no street-sense, no sense of adventure and may even end up resenting their parents.
Thomas Kielty (15) says: "Parents are responsible for training their children to become grown-ups. "That training takes time, trust and means a little risk taking sometimes."
Hugo McIlveen, also 15, said: "Parents need to give their children a sense of independence because if they don't, when they grow up, they will always rely on their parents for guidelines about what to do."
Michael Leathem (14) said: "If you try to keep a child a child and not let them develop they are going to have emotional problems later."
Mairead Duffy (16) said: "If parents decide to keep a tight rein on their children they are going to be affected in later years. They are not going to be capable of doing stuff by themselves, they will have no social skills or self-esteem and won't have a realistic view of the world."
Another 16-year-old, Margaruite McNeil, suggested 13 or 14 as a good age for parents to let their children go out and start socialising on their own. She said: "My parents practiced on my sister first. She was the one that got most of the 'no you are not allowed' reactions. So when it came to me, they knew what was likely to work.
About the team
This article was produced by members of the Children's Express Belfast bureau.
