by Pamela Folks

Created on: June 22, 2009   Last Updated: June 26, 2009

As I was looking at pictures in the photo album the other day, I watch my little girl grow up right before my eyes. It was only yesterday that she was asleep in her high chair with food smeared all over her face. The next page is a toddler just beginning to walk, but grabbing for mommy's hand. The next page she is posing like a little princess with an angelic smile on her face. Today, I look in at her laying on her bed, playing her Playstation and I see the long legs on the little girl that needs to start wearing her first bra. It takes my breath away. Where did my baby go?

As our children get older, it is important to teach them about responsibility and independence. Do you guide them towards decisions, or let them charge on independently? I believe it is important to give your child some independence. Let them try and make decisions on their own, as long as they are not harmed in the process. If they make the wrong decisions, it is a lesson that they learn and the next time hopefully will make the right decisions. Yes we are the adults, but if we don't let our children learn, they will not grow into responsible adults. They will be reckless teenagers, and destructive adults.

A child in this day and age have had advantages that we never had. My child at 10 years old can soar through the computer, playing games that boggle my mind and cause my eyes to glass over. And this is something that she sat down and taught herself. My role as a parent is to make sure that the information she is getting off the computer will not harm her. So instead of refusing to let her use the computer, I talk to her about the dangers of "perverts" and "weirdos" that pray on gullibility of young children. Unfortunately in our society these people are everywhere, waiting for their chance to stalk our children and harm them. We can ignore this issue, or talk to our children so they will know how to handle theirselves when situations arise.

A little independence gives your child a sense of power. It gives them pride in their accomplishments. They are able to sit back and say, "hey! I did that on my own". We must remember that each situation is different. You have to hope that you raise your child to make the right decisions and to come to you when they have to struggle with what is right or wrong. Its all a part of growing up. I know that we never want to let go and let our children grow up. It is a fact of life that they will.

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