Parents and Children Relationships - Essay Example

Parents and Children Relationships Children have indeed conflicted with their parents since a long time. One may think that children today are more likely to conflict with their parents. However, parent-child conflict is an old one, and this has been manifested in parents struggling to guide their children while children struggle to project their individuality. Regarding individuality, there are many aspects to look at. To begin with, developing one's individuality starts at an early age. Children learn to develop their own tastes in whatever they do, and in whatever social setting they grow up in.

Parents often try and intervene and decide what is best for their children. Often, children disagree with their parents in such matters. In other cases, some children accept their parents' choices, but do not remain satisfied. Some children choose to over power their parents' decisions. This is particularly because parents often forget to give their children the flexibility they need to project their personalities. However, in many cases, children insist on choosing what they want even when certain things are not really good for them.

This is where parents need to have the final say.Having a final say in matters is a tool that parents need to use very carefully. Often, parents can overuse this power, and it can be very damaging for their children (Ruys, 2005). Though it is an integral tool for many parents, it is one that must be used within reason. Parents of yesteryears and today have experienced the rebellious nature of their children at some point (McGloin and Widom, 2001,1022-37). Though this nature may be more visible today, children of yesteryears also struggled to be recognized as individuals.

Apparently, the struggle by children to project their individual personalities in different ways is an instinctive nature in most developing children. It is one that parents need to understand and deal with appropriately. It is difficult and wrong to oppose or suppress this nature because one cannot and should not smother an individual's personality as it blossoms (Mahoney and Stattin, 2000, 114-26). Parents ought to handle their growing children as growing and unique personalities. Children need to be recognized as individuals.

When children learn that they are being recognized as individuals, they feel more confident and grow up to be reliant on their own unique personalities. They also tend to understand themselves better this way. There is also need to exercise good control over children when necessary. This is because young minds may not always know right from wrong (Silk, 2003, 114-127). Parents need to inform their children in a positive way about what is right and wrong. Being firm at times is necessary, but not always.

Sometimes, a better measure is to resort to drilling or engraining what is right and wrong from a very young age. This reinforces their awareness about certain things (Harde, 2002). If parents manage to engrain core values in their children, it becomes easier to explain to them why they should or should not do certain things when they grow older. However, having said that, there are numerous factors to consider as a child grows up (Harde, 2002). There are many unforeseen circumstances that families may land