Some individuals believe that the role of parents is to discipline their offspring and teach them determine right from wrong. Others on the other hand, argue that providing a safe and nurturing environment for children to grow up in is a parental responsibility. As I consider parents as individuals who should provide emotional and financial support, I agree with the latter opinion.
Some people see parents as early-age teachers. They consider parenting as a way of instilling values and perspectives of themselves in children. To give an example, religious families are more likely to have religious kids as they teach them their own values and points of view about life. In my opinion, infants are free souls who come to this world with a blank mind. Thus, it is not a parental responsibility to fill their minds with their own values and the behaviors they find right or wrong. By observing the world around them, children are capable of understanding morality and appropriate social interactions.
Others, on the other hand, argue that the fundamental responsibility of parents is to provide children with a safe and nurturing environment in which they can grow without worrying about anything. Furthermore, they see parenting as a responsibilty without interfering with their children’s values and beliefs. These parents are open-minded and their offspring are allowed to think freely without limitations. I agree with this belief because in my point of view, an open and free mind as children’s is significantly valuable and values shouldn’t be instilled in them. Parents should be emotional and financial supporters rather than teachers who want to instill beliefs in children’s minds.
To sum up, some people find parenting as a way of teaching morality to children whereas others, believe children should have a free mind and parents are only there for them to provide them with a safe and nurturing environment. I support the latter point of view and hope to be a supportive parent in the future who doesn’t involve herself in children’s beliefs.