Are your parents overprotective?  For teens who have overprotective parents, the issue is real and something they need to learn to handle.  For those who have parents who are not overprotective, trust me, the issue is real.

Parents are overprotective because they fear for their kids. The world is a dangerous place, so parents have a reason to be overprotective, but when they are, they fail to think about how their children feel about this smothering feeling.

Teens and kids need freedom, they need fresh air, and they need independence. Keeping them in the house or under watch all the time isn’t good for their well-being.  Kids who are stuck in the house all the time feel the effects physically, socially and mentally.  When teens reach the age of 15, they should be allowed to go out if they know right from wrong and if they have decent friends.

The website Debate.org allowed teens to discuss this issue on its site when it posed the question “Should teens be allowed out during the school week?”   Its readers in the “yes” section of the debate, one responder writes, “Without a doubt, teens should be allowed out during the school week. Teens that remain indoors tend to have social problems and get bored. There’s no reason that parents should keep their children cooped up in the house for any reason. Therefore, teenagers need to be let out more often than not.”  This person’s response speaks to teens who believe they should be able to go out every day of the week, it still relates to the larger issue that parents should not keep teens in the house all the time because it does affect them socially.

Children in this generation know right from wrong but choose to do the wrong thing because it’s fun. They don’t think about the consequences; they don’t think before they do anything. The mistakes children make now can affect their future, which is probably one of the reasons why parents are overprotective. However, parents have to learn how to trust their kids and let them make mistakes. Even if their kids do something bad, it is better than keeping them in the house all the time. Overprotective and strict parents make sneaky children. It’s better to know what your child is doing than to have him or her sneaking around and hiding things.

If parents were given one day to see what it feels like living as a teen in this generation, they would know how we feel and how bad it feels to have parents keep them in the house all the time. Most teens are active, enjoy socializing with others, and love to explore the world and learn new things, but they can’t do this stuck in the house all the time. At home, you will never learn anything new from others.

It’s better to explore new things outside, like seeing flowers you’ve never seen before, enjoy the weather, go to the pool, have fun with the people you enjoy being with, the ones that care about you. Staying in the house all the time is depressing and not fun. Parents need to learn how to be less overprotective and give their kids some space. Parents need to realize that they are going to have to let them go at some point in their lives.