What We Can Do If Our Children Want To Do Something We Don't Approve Of
/We all feel that, as parents, we do the best we can for our children, and raise them to make decisions that are for their benefit but are also sensible. And before they hit their twenties, and they are in the big wide world themselves, it's important that you have laid the fundamental groundwork. But, it's not always smooth sailing. Our children can do things that we don't agree with, but we are powerless to stop them in many ways, especially if they are hell-bent on doing it. Something like a dangerous hobby, from riding a motorbike, to shooting, are things that teenagers might want to do, or even hang out with people we think are bad for them, and if we flat out refuse their requests to do this, what can we do as parents to provide a better influence?
Monitor Them
So many children will hate you for continually monitoring them, as it shows them we don't trust them. But by keeping track of where they are at any given time, it makes things easier on your part, but it doesn't benefit the relationship you have with your child. It will only encourage them to go further under the radar.
Educate Them
Developing a set of moral values in your child is something that you have to start early on in life. It's far more difficult to try and teach them certain values when they are a teenager, and are more than likely to rebel. But when it comes to dangerous habits, all you can do is educate them about what the outcome could be. For example, if your child wanted to take up motorcycle riding and you are against this, you can point them towards many statistics of fatalities and injuries. The law offices of Randolph Rice list the common injuries associated with motorbike accidents, and if you go about it the right way, by educating them the pros and cons, you can come to a well-informed decision. After a while, if there's more evidence to support the negative rather than the positive, you've done your job.
Show You Trust Them To Make The Right Decision
And after you've given them all the information, the rest is up to them. You can't monitor them 24 hours a day, nor should you have to. Ultimately, you have to trust that they are equipped to make the right decision. It can be particularly difficult to get to this point. If you feel that your child has a lot to learn with regards to pursuing dangerous hobbies, or even hanging around with the wrong crowd, it has boiled down to you and what you've taught them, not just in recent years, but from the moment that they were born, to make the right decisions.
It can be heartbreaking as a parent when you've worked hard to leave them down a particular path, only for them to choose something that you consider to be morally wrong. Whether it is a dangerous hobby, or something more extreme, it's a fact of life that you will come into conflict with your children from time to time. It's these moments that will be the most difficult, but if you can overcome them, then your relationship with your child will be strengthened.