Fly Solo

In ancient times, boys and girls were considered adults at the young age of 13. They were directed to go hunt and kill their own dinner or marry an older man and start a family. This wasn't strange to anyone; this was just tradition. It was the way things were done; there was no argument. However, nowadays, when can a child be considered an adult? Do they have to purchase their own home? Their own car? Get married? Get a job? The law says that a child becomes an adult at the age of 18. On the other hand, certain religions still believe young teenagers should be considered adults. So really, how are we to know when we become adults?

I may not phrase this right, but whether a child receives "permission" to be an individual or not differs in every family. There are certain parents who raise a child to know how to take care of themselves because they need to know how to be an independent person to survive and the parents understand that their child will one day be without them; they are preparing their child to live life. There are also parents who coddle their children and never let them stray far from home base. In these two instances, I'm talking about how parents raise their children to be an adult, but what about the child. Shouldn't the child decide when he/she is ready to be an adult and make decisions? Obviously, children make mistakes and are not always right, but a lot of the time, I find that younger people are the ones who remind me the value of life; they make it simple again. Many parents believe that just because they are old, they are wise or maybe wiser; that is not always the case. Times change; people evolve. I believe that today more than ever, children are forced to enter adulthood at a younger age than our parents. There is so much corruption in the world today that it is difficult to steer clear of it. So what can we do? We have to teach people younger than us how to deal with it on their own; make them know what is right and what is wrong based on their instincts. Therefore parents need to accept the fact that their children are ultimately going to be considered an adult at some point... so what if it is earlier than expected?

Parents... let your children fly solo for a little while; let them experience the life you experienced and they will be forever grateful for it.

Youngsters... fight for that freedom or you'll regret it.


xoxo