The Freedom to Do What Is Right
A French woman related that her children grow up in her home until the age of fifteen. At that age, she allows them to live independently, stating, “You have been raised as my children. Now you are free to live as you please and manage on your own.” Boy, did her children “live as they pleased.” Some of them ended up in mental institutions, while others committed suicide, rachmana litzlan. She had made a fatal error by allowing them to live wantonly, not being answerable to anyone.
Modern advancement, which, superficially, seems good and blessed, often gives people the skewed notion that they can allow their children to run their own lives. This causes untold problems among today’s youth. Despair, depression, heartache, and emotional disturbances are just some examples of the results of uninhibited freedom. There are many, many things which children and teenagers cannot do on their own. They often come to self-doubt and inner conflicts due to undertaking a task too big for them. As a result of disillusionment, they often end their problems by taking their own lives.
It is a parent’s moral obligation to guide his children at every stage of life. It is of prime importance that parents provide the support needed to establish their children on the right footing and maintain their stability.
