 | Devinee Fitzgerald, 15, is a freshman at Goddard High School. She likes to play soccer, and is currently playing for the high school team. Devinee received a certificate last year for earning an exemplary ranking on the state writing test. She is enrolled in Journalism I this year and will be on the yearbook staff next year. She most admires her family. They are very close and are always there for each other. Devinee's parents are John and Coretta Fitzgerald. |
Teens have opinions too
2005-04-01 10:39:00
What makes a good parent?
: Do parents always know what's best?
ANSWER: Parents often try to control more than they bargain for. They think they know best when it comes to which classes their kids should take, who their kids should hang with, and what sports their kids should play.Parents hold their own demanding positions in society and aren't as connected to their children as they think. While parents are working a nine to five job, we are growing up. We develop many new interests that probably won't come up in the thirty minutes we spend together at dinner. Some families have a stay at home mom or dad who insists on checking the son's or daughter's math homework every night. Those parents who push their way into their children's lives often find their kids starting to push away under pressure.Some people think that because a parent is older and more experienced and has more knowledge that they surely know best. Yes, it counts, but every person is unique, and experience and wisdom do not completely make up for individuality and the generation gap. Until you follow your kid around for a few days and become familiar with his or her circumstances, you can't truly know best. If you see similarities in the path your son or daughter is headed down and the one you were on as a teenager, you might share that with them. But don't assume that what was wrong for you is wrong for them, too. Do not try to control. Learn to guide.
