Question: How should adults in 2012 "parent" thier children? Lend your opinion on how this should be done. Think about the appraoch your parents/guardians have taken in raising you. Consider the parenting you've seen of others in your peer group (how your extended family parents your cousins, or how your friends parents deal with your friends), and finally, think about the parent you might want to be someday. How would you go about raising your children? What standandards would you hold them to (if any), what rules would you impose (if any)?

Answer:
Parents play an essential role in a child's life. As the years go on, children need stricter regulations to follow. The adults in 2012 should parent their children by setting examples and rules so their children know that the parent has control. To me, parents should be more of a parent than a friend. It is perfectly fine to be friendly with your kids however, being friendly and being their friend are two different things. Kids will have lots of friends throughout their life but (most of the time) they only have two parents their whole lives. In this case kids need a role model, someone who can set good examples and teach them manners. In my opinion, letting kids make their own mistakes is for the better and parents should guide them in the right direction but let them make their own decisions. Parents should apply guidelines for their kids, these guidelines don't particularly have to be strict but lets the children know that the parent in in charge. In my family, parents are strict, but not to the point where the kids are afraid of their parents. For example, my aunt and my cousins, my aunt has expectations for her kids and, her kids know that because they know if they do something they know they are not suppose to do then there will be a consequence. This teaches them right from wrong, it also allows them to experience what happens when u make mistakes. Some of my friends parents are very friendly to their kids and their kids are very open with them and tell them everything, they find the balance of being a great parent while also allowing friendship within their kids relationship. On the other hand, some of my friends parents have no idea what goes on in their kids lives particularly because they just done ask and are not to involved in what their kids are doing. My parents have taught me so much and each day i learn from them. They helped to define the person I am today. I feel that if they didn't do simple things like asking how my day was after I got home from school when I was little I wouldn't be as open with my life as I am now with them. They taught me right from wrong, manners and, how to be respectful to others and to myself. Someday, when I am a parent, I will want my kids to grow up as leaders and to be proud of who they become. I wouldn't be too strict on them but I would let them know that I do have expectations that they will have to follow. They will know that I am the parent and therefore they have to listen and respect me. I would teach them to value life and how to be polite to the people around you, even those who you may not like. I would let them make some of their decisions on their own but reassure them that if they ever need me I would be there for them much like my parents did to me.