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Parenting, Responsibility, and the Party Dilemma
From Teenage Revelry to Adult Responsibility
As a teenager, I vividly remember a day when I approached my parents and asked them what time I should come home from the party I was attending that evening. Their response was far from what I had expected. Instead of giving me a strict curfew, they told me
“Whatever you consider responsible.”
It was an answer that initially surprised me but turned out to be one of the most valuable lessons in responsibility I’ve ever received.
This was hardly the answer I expected. Like any other teenager, I was ready to argue, beg and plead for more time at the party. I tried to get more out of them, but they refused to even give an indication as to what they thought was “responsible.”
Urgh! Some parents I have!
Oh, the frustration of teenage rebellion! Who wants parents like that?!
At the party, I quickly learned that some of my classmates were worse off: they had to leave early. For some, it was even worse: their parents would pick them up. Ouch!
A quick cultural insight: I’m Dutch. It’s not uncommon for teenagers of that age to travel alone. Getting home by bike or public transport…
