Trust.

I believe in giving everyone the benefit of the doubt. Mistakes are often made by even the most careful people but that gives no one the right to dub them hopeless and untrustworthy. Although parents fear that any small mistake could ruin their child’s life, parents should allow the child to decipher which option is right—I believe in trust.
Parents generally wish the best for their child. They panic at the thought of their child making the same mistakes they did at the same age. Granted, they intend to help their son/daughter, but one must let the child grow into their own being. All a parent can really do is hope their kid was paying attention during the heart-to –heart discussions in place of tuning them out with baring music from their Ipod. Just making the effort into guiding them will suffice for that is all a parent can really do—without controlling their life, of course.
My parents don’t always exactly see eye to eye when it comes to my life. My dad believes in punishing me if I have too many B’s on my report card; my mom trusts I will try my hardest. My dad believes I should be home before it gets dark outside; my mom trusts I will make the right decision, regardless if it’s night or day. My dad also has his mind set in only allowing me to date after I’m 27. I’m his little girl, but it’s not as if I go to an all girl school. I have friends, both female and male; however, he thinks I’ll somehow hurt my family if I even speak to a boy—he’s mentioned this idea a few times. The more he expresses this need to overprotect me, the more faith I lose in myself. I know I’m capable of making the right decisions, whether he agrees with me or not. I am also aware that he means well, but after every choice I make, I begin to anticipate my failure. The more he tries to act like a better father, the more I tend to push him away because of it.
Trusting one’s son or daughter after explaining why it’s important to make the right decision is critical. There is no easy way to find the medium between smothering a child and neglecting them. Too much freedom may lead to feeling lack of care and over protection may just push the child away. With so many negative things out there in life, it may be difficult for the parent to let their kid explore. It’s normal to worry, but if you taught them right, you won’t be let down.

Jessenia De Leon