Opinions are divided on whether parents should manage their children’s activities in leisure time. From my perspective, I believe that parents choosing what activities they do in their free time has its merits. I would argue that children should decide their free-time activities on their own.
Granted, parents choosing children’s activities in their free time can be beneficial. Children are often exposed to harmful and toxic content on the internet such as violence or bad language, which has a negative impact on their behavior. For instance, in Viet Nam children who are not closely supervised by their parents often watch violence videos on platforms such as Facebook or Tiktok, leading to an increase in school violence problems. Moreover, without proper guidance, children become addicted and ignore their studies in school, resulting in poor academic performance.
However, I strongly believe that children should be allowed to choose their free time activities. When they choose their activities they have more responsibility in their decisions. Additionally, it also helps children become more grown up because they can experience and draw a lesson from their options. Choosing their activities in their leisure time may have children explore their interests and passions, which can create a sense of comfort and freedom when participating in activities. For instance, children who love playing sports, but are forced to play musical instruments such as piano or guitar, lead to feeling bored and dissatisfied. Also, if parents manage too much their activities in their free time, it makes the relationship between them and their children become more and more pressured or even cause conflict. Instead, parents should give some advice and interview their children during the process of choosing free-time activities, which not only helps them become interested in joining activities but also helps improve the relationship between parents and children.
In conclusion, although parents managing their children’s activities in their free time can avoid several negative effects on their behavior and help improve their academic performance. Nevertheless, I still believe that it is better for children if they are freedom when choosing their free-time activities on their own.