The Child Trap

I really enjoyed reading the article, “The Child Trap.” Personally, I do see many truths in various claims summarized in the article because I have experienced some of this in my own real life. For instance, in the article the author, Joan Acocella, talks about how after-school activities impress college admission officers because “you can’t smoke pot or lose your virginity at lacrosse practice.” I laughed after I read that quote because it’s silly but so true at the same time. My first few years in high school were brutal; my dad is really strict and was obsessed with college applications and making sure that I had the best so I could potentially end up in a great school. I understand that he did this with good intentions but it just drove me crazy and I didn’t want to do anything because I felt forced.

Having a strict parent like my dad was beneficial for me, in my opinion, because I had balance and discipline in my life. He isn’t as controlling as some people I know. I have a friend who has really religious parents. Her parents did not let her do anything to the point where she and some of her other friends made up a code language (like symbols) and would write in a notebook so if she left her notebook laying around and her parents snooped—which they did—she would not get in trouble for things she wrote. Unfortunately, her parents weren’t as dumb as she thought and ended up decoding the language and she was grounded for weeks. I feel really bad for kids who have extremely strict parents because their child just wants to enjoy their young teenage years doing normal things with their friends. My friend snuck out of her house and would go to parties and eventually her parents moved the family to Ohio where she now lives. I think that they are still super strict but she’s as college and probably enjoying all the freedom.