Amen. I believe that not all adolescents should be regarded as the same troublemaking, horny jerks that can't see past the immediate. This only occurs for incredibly stupid Se users, so not even the intelligent ones take on this behavior. I think teens should be judged according to their skills, personality, knowledge, character, and rationality rather than the number on their birth certificate. I'm not suggesting that we immediately give a 13 year old a driver's license because he has proven competence in driving, but consider the other things like "does this teen have the character, forward thinking and quick wit to handle driving?" Informatively, I do believe that we should help teens learn as much as they can and grow into people that can fend for themselves instead of using their incompetence as an excuse to control them and then throwing them out on the street once they are legally too old to be controlled. I view parenting as an opportunity to grow teens into independent and empathetic young adults and teach them that the world carries a load of possibilities, rather than as a responsibility that just has to be done according to law. It sickens me to watch parents irrationally explode at their children because they didn't get them the bowl of cereal they wanted. Parenting is a gift and a process of nurturing, not a way to get your selfish goals accomplished. To all the parents that view teens like I do, thank you for your kindness. That is all I have to say to contribute to this thread.
