by Vikas Reddy

Created on: November 23, 2008   Last Updated: December 03, 2008

The greatest mistake parents make is treating their children as if they are vessels of knowledge open to every idea. But the problem with parents expecting children to be like them is the repression of the children's abilities to critically solve problems with a fresh and unbiased perspective. Personality and the way one believes life works becomes virtually permanent by the time he reaches adult age. Important lessons are constantly passed down from generation to generation through parents but so are the same mistakes. What separates kids from adults is the ability to adapt to change better and think outside the traditional ways of doing things. When parents restrict that ability, children will never learn which lessons from their parents are useful and which have been outdated by history.

We've all heard the saying that no man or woman is perfect. It is one of the most reliable aphorisms we can refer to in order to prove why it's harmful for a child in the long run to be forced to become like his parent. Psychologists refer to parents as more than just care-givers to children. Parents are the ultimate teachers of their children, even more so than teachers in school.

While school teachers teach children how to excel academically in the future, the parent's job is to pass on crucial advice on how to live life, define perspectives on issues in society, and to teach the child how to make the best for his own family when he grows up. However, one remarkable observation in life is how similar children are to their parents. This is something that becomes more prominent as you grow older. Look back on your own parents for instance; chances are that you strongly portray a few traits they have or used to have. Genetics is the key to seeing how children are shaped into becoming their parents.

This does not mean children are destined to become exactly like their parents. The important thing to consider is that no parent is perfect. Many things that parents teach to their children are significantly outdated and sometimes even ignorant. Parents primarily from Asia, such as Chinese and Indian parents, stress tradition above all else and demand unquestioning obedience from children. While such authoritarian methods have worked well decades ago, psychologists have found that these strict methods of 'training' a child can cause severe long term effects, such as lack of assertiveness, mental illness, and a poor ability to make critical choices. There are many parents that harshly

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