Natalie+B’s+2017+OpEd+Article

In recent observation of students at foothill, it has come to my attention that a good portion of the students are incarcerated by the will of their parents. The expectations of these students are held so high that they are engulfed in living the life of their par ents rather than their own.
 * The Incarcerating Standards of Parents **

I feel the need to “muck rake” this in order to bring attention to the way in which our lives are, in a way, being robbed by our parents. For anybody out there being imprisoned within the standards of their parents, this is for you.

If the majority of your weekend is spent at home doing your homework, you're doing it wrong. And by “it” I mean life. I want you to ask yourself what you are getting out of that. What are really getting out of life, if you're confined to the walls of your hous e?

You're not getting enough out of life by staying at home and doing your fucking homework. Yeah it might feel satisfying to be on top of homework, however, your illusion of productivity is false. People who are out with friends or family or even by themselves, who go out of their house and enjoy life for what it is, they're the ones who are being productive.

Screw what your parents think if it's preventing you from living life. You think you need your parents approval for every god damn thing you do? You don't. It's not their life. Were in high school for fuck sake. In such a short time we will be 18. Off to college or whatever life has to offer. The problem with this is that we won't know how to act or live. We have been imprisoned for the past 18 years, and the outside world is so foreign.

I guess in any case college and the outside world is foreign, but for people who spent their entire high school years in their room with their parents standing above them with a whip, the outside world will be incomprehensible.

While I'm sure these parents are just advocating for the success of their children and are not meaningfully taking away from their life, their over protectiveness could be holding them back.

As an example: by chance, i overheard the conversation between a mother with appallingly high standards for her child, and a teacher. The matter of the meeting was that of which raising the child's grade from a B to and A.

Firstly, I would like to point that a B is in no way a bad grade. I'm so baffled at why this mother was so concerned with her child getting B. Secondly, it is very important to note the state of the students health. This student who had just recently gotten into a car accident was suffering from a concussion. Now this is what outraged me beyond belief. Are you fucking kidding me? Your child is suffering from a concussion after a car accident and you’re worried about his grade?!?! Mind you that his grade was merely a B. Also note that the class was calculus BC, one of the hardest courses the school has to offer. Since when does education come before health. You education doesn't mean shit if you're not healthy enough to use it effectively.

While I find that case to be a bit radical, more often parents are overprotective of their kids going out at night on the weekends. While at a younger age the concern of this is greater, overtime it should lessen as maturity develops. Yet I still find that people in my grade have parents who struggle to let them leave the house and are up their ass 24/7. Its junior year of high school people!! Your kids are almost 18! Sooner or Later these kids are going to have to experience the world whether you like it or not.

If I ever were to have kids, I promise you I would let them live their life. Life is to be experienced. Don't let the first 18 years of your life be robbed by the constraint of your parents.