Monkey see, Monkey have to do everything their parents say | Teen Ink

Monkey see, Monkey have to do everything their parents say

October 24, 2008
By Anonymous

Our parents are supposed be guides that help us spread our wings and fly through life. If this is true, then why do some kids find their wings being clipped? Some parents, instead of guiding, restrain and force their views on kids, hoping that their kids will always do the “right thing.” But how do the kids know what the right thing is, especially when the parents don’t even know what the right thing is.

The problem with over protective parents is that they feel that the people that their children are close too are just distractions and that the children should be with their family more than their friends. When I wanted to go see my friend in a show he was in, my parents said no. There was no money or driving involved but still no. I asked why and they told me it was because I saw my friends yesterday and I didn't have to see them today. If I see my friends too much they’ll start to change who I am. That’s why. My parents felt that spending the day in the house alone doing nothing with them was better than spending the day with my friends.

If over protective parents shield their children from the world, their children's lives will only entail fear and restraint. They’ll always fear the world because that's what they’ve learned and they’ll never experience the joy of the world. If a child has been taught his entire life that two plus two is five, then of course that's what they will grow up to believe, the same rule applies to kids with over protective parents. If a child with over protective parents is taught that the world is a scary and terrible place then they will grow up to believe the only thing that they have ever known, which unfortunately for them is not true. People with these parents lead joyless lives because they are never taught how to live joyously.

Some over protective parents argue “ I’m only shielding you from getting hurt” but what is hurting the kids is not the outside world, but the world inside of the house. The children of over protective parents spend most of their time inside, where they can be protected from the outside world, and kept near their parents at all times but is it the world that is terrible and toxic or is it the parents that are creating the toxic environment. The children of over protective parents are being taught to be scared and frightened of the world instead of gaining the skills to survive which can only be gained by actually experiencing at least some dangers in the world, you can read about how to survive in a jungle but it’s those who have experienced the wild that survive. They say they want to shield their children from evil but they’re the ones enabling the evil.

Over protective parents should stop clipping the wings of their children and start teaching us to fly. Without experiencing the joys that this world offers how can we call what shielded kids call living. Parents that feel the need to protect their children from everything are not protecting them but instead inhibiting the growth and the gain of the tools needed to survive in this world. The parents of this world need to take a step out of their children's lives, and stop keeping the world from their children.

The author's comments:
This article is written out of frustration to get through to the parents of the world. Parents stop looking at the problems in the world and start looking at the problems in yourself.

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This article has 4 comments.


Lil' Shad said...
on Oct. 31 2008 at 12:36 am
THIS IS SO GREAT!!!! I feel that this can connect with teens everywhere. Truly a fabulous job!

Rachel G. said...
on Oct. 30 2008 at 2:40 am
I totally and completely agree with everything that you said in this article. My parents used to be overprotective and I think that this article can really open the eyes of overprotective parent's kids to the fact that the world isn't as scary a place as their parents are making it seem. 5 Stars!!!

on Oct. 29 2008 at 12:16 pm
I found this article to be extremely true. I think not for just teens to read this, but also the parents themself. No matter who you are, everyone gets the feelings of his or her parents being overprotective. The author of this article toke a topic that everyone can relate to and did an amazing job getting the point across. I give it 5 stars!

MovieZak said...
on Oct. 29 2008 at 1:31 am
You did a wonderful job capturing the frustration and anger that parents can cause in the pursuit of eeping their kids safe. You really must thank your editor for a jod well done!