Parenting. If you are reading this I guarantee you have parents. Weather they be foster parents, parents by adoption or parents who gave birth to you, you have someone who looks over you. Do they do a good job? What is a good job? Could you do better?

Parenting takes a refined amount of attention. You can’t micromanage every little thing, but you can’t simply turn a blind eye to everything your child does. Believe me I know I live with my parents, and to make it even better I am a teenager who has a good amount of freedom. I speak from experience.

Almost everyone I know has complained about their parents at least once. I get it know one is perfect but that also means everyone can do better. Being a parent is a commitment that everyone should take seriously. It means, I take responsibility for a child and I will look after them. It means, I take responsibility for the future generation of this world. It means, I take responsibility to help my child be the best that he or she can be.

Responsibility

Time

Effort

Do you want the best for your child? Do you want them to be wealthy and happy? Do you want them to hate you? Micromanaging is never good. The dictionary defines it as, “control every part, however small, of (an enterprise or activity)..” If you want to live through your child, make them fear you, and make them hate you go ahead and micromanage. Dictate another humans life. Take their life away. Go. Do it. I warned you. They will hate you and when they move out they will do anything possible to stay away from you. And you should know, you have to take responsibility when they do stupid things because they can't handle freedom. Instead, maybe try to let them go and hangout with their friends or stay up late to watch a movie once in a while, or let them make decisions about the things they do.

On the flip side, you can not turn a blind eye towards everything your child does. Ok you want them to experience life in the real world and know what its is like to live on your own. So you should never just let your kid go, and tell them to go have fun. Don’t watch them fail. Coach them through life. Keep their head above water until they learn to swim. So you have work during the day and don’t get to see your kid. Take all the time possible to be with them, do everything you can to make them feel loved without spoiling them. Most of all make sure they understand, that you are only out so often because you have to be. And I understand if every once in a while, you take time to yourself. Just, because you have kids doesn’t mean you can’t live. However, you still need to do your best to spend time with your kids.

I remember once I was going to my freinds house. I remember his mom opened the door. I remember she said, “I’m sorry you're going to have to go home, he missed a homework assignment.” A, as in 1 homework assignment. We were fourth graders. However, he was my neighbor so it wasn’t a big deal, I went to my others neighbors house. I knocked on his door.

I said, “you wanna come over to my house.”

He replied, “yeah sure,” as he stepped out of his house.

“Wow wait shouldn’t you ask your mom,” I asked.

“Nah, she won't care.”

“You should still check.”

“She’s got other things to do.”

The way he said other, didn’t lead me to believe he supported what she was doing. I, in one day I saw both extremes of parenting. As a fourth grader I saw what parenting could do.

Both of those kids were always in and out of the office with, “behavioral issues.”

Parents, there’s always room to do better.

You should always remember one thing: It’s not an extension of your life.

This person is another human you must take responsibility for however, you can enjoy time with your child.