Switched-On :: Blog

Curfews suck especially when we are teens. When we are younger than 12 years old our curfew is around 8 or 9 at night. As we grow older our curfews go later and later. Right now I am about 17 years old. I do believe I have a curfew but it is not set in stone. Like my mother never said, “Oh, you must be home by 12 and no later!” She just calls me and says be home by this time. If I were to ask my mother to go out at 11 at night she would definitely say no. I think the latest she wants me to stay is like 10 or so. I did once not come home until late and she was really pìššëd. If I were to do it again I would be grounded until I die. Probably not that drastic but you know what I mean. Then there is my father. He sees teens out in the street hanging out and possibly causing trouble. He hates that. If he were to see me like that I would get a lecture of a lifetime. Boy I would hate that. In the summer I rather be outside than in so one day I tried staying out around 8 by myself and he was like “No, you can’t stay out past dark.” Even though parents put curfews on how late we can stay out it is understandable why they do. They don’t want us getting hurt or getting in trouble.

- Tatiana

Whether the arguments may be between two parents or between the parents and the child, either way it is detrimental for the child — especially if the child begins to understand the contents of their parents’ bicker. Of course, one can easily see how arguments with the parents can affect the child — not many are going to be happy about getting yelled at, right? But probably not many has considered the effects of bickering between parents on the child. Yes, parents aren’t directly yelling at/against the child but they are bringing up problems that they have in a way that the child may start to understand after a while. In some ways, this may make the child mature faster as they begin to understand the many burdens of their parents but in others, this will impose more stress on the child in addition to whatever stress they may have from school or social life. If parents insist on having the best for their child, this should be something they take into consideration — stop thinking they don’t understand so it’s fine to bicker in front of them because they will understand one day and then you are the one putting extra pressure on them.

- Vivian

Teenagers are often demanding more freedom and independence from their parents – but how much is right or enough? It’s rather hard to gauge since it could vary from person-to-person. Some people are responsible enough for their age and can fend for themselves if given more independence, but some can get into a lot of trouble if they are given freedom, even if they don’t think so themselves. So, how do parents determine that? Simply put, a lot of them don’t and simply restrict their children, but this isn’t necessarily the best choice. Perhaps parents can try to give a little freedom and see how it turns out because if they restrict them too much, they might become too sheltered although on the other hand, too much freedom can lead to disaster. It’s often the need for this balance — and it’s also often hard to achieve. So, how much freedom do you think should be allotted for teenagers?

- Vivian