Capulet arranges for Juliet to marry Paris, while Romeo’s parents have already given him near complete freedom—to the point that he never even goes home during the entire course of the play. Few people in today’s world would argue in favor of arranged marriages, but parents often have strict rules over where teenagers can go, who they can date, and what time they should be home. How much control should a parent have over the social life of a teenager? What kinds of restrictions on a teenager’s freedom do you think are reasonable? Why do parents sometimes have different rules for teen boys and teen girls? Is that fair?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think it's okay for parents to have minimal control over where the teen goes, but not who who they date or associate with. They can't choose your friends or who you're attracted to, it doesn't work. They can't MAKE you like someone, and even if they could, that would be very wrong. I think a reasonable time to be home is fine, and a small amount of control over where they go. But there shouldn't be any control over who they associate with or date. It's THEIR friends, not their parents. The teen learns and decides who they like to be friends with and date for themself. I'm not really sure why parents sometimes have different rules for guys and girls, other than that they behave differently, or that society consider girls to be weaker.
ReplyDeleteNonetheless, I personally don't think its fair.
I agree that parents should, for the most part, grant teenagers freedom over who they associate with and what they do. The teen years are a time of exploration, and are vital in developing one's identity. On the other hand, I believe parents should provide teenagers with counsel and step in when necessary - what if, for example, the teenager began to hang around people who were handling drugs? I think in that case, a parent should limit the teenager's contact with those people to keep them safe.
DeleteI also think parents having different rules for boys and girls isn't fair (in this era, both genders should have equal rights), but I can understand why. Like you mentioned, teenage girls are seen as more vulnerable in our society. They are more likely to be harassed/abducted, and so many parents don't allow teenage girls to go out by themselves or wear revealing clothing (to avoid drawing the attention of predators).
All things considered, I believe parents should avoid involvement in teenager's social lives except when they are in harm's way. Although I don't think boys and girls having different rules is necessarily fair, I know there is little that can be done to change the current state of our society. I believe many of these rules can prevent assault and are well-intended.
I agree with the fact that parents can't control their children's beliefs or opinions. Everyone is unique and I don't think that Juliet's parents understood that. Capulet wanted Juliet to agree with every single thing he said, and that could only happen if she lied. And Lady Capulet wasn't much better, because she also wanted to force Juliet into a marriage and she basically said that she didn't care if Juliet died.
DeleteI agree and think that a parent's role should be more involved with making sure their child is safe and less of who they like. I also think that different rules for opposite sex children is not fair, but sometimes it might be necissary to ensure safety.
DeleteI think that it is a parents job to have some structure in a childs life but I dont think they should be able to control who you marry or who your friends are. In some cases it can be a good thing if your parents say I dont think he/she is the right one for you. It could save you from a lot of stress and heartache because I know I want my parents to like my husband and if they didnt I feel like it would make life a lot harder.
DeleteI think parents should have a large amount of control over their child's dating life but less over their child's friends. I agree that when you marry someone you are marrying into the family and parents should be weary of this when their child dates. I think it is the parents business to attaining knowledge about the person they are dating because honestly if I was a dad I wouldn't want my child to bring someone home who is rude to me and has no manners. But when a child is making friends it is a good life lesson for them to make friends for themselves and deal with peer pressure in life (hopefully in a positive way!). I also think that it is right for a parent to have different rules for their children but not really on gender but on behavior. A child that is more respectful and kind to their parent deserves more freedom than a jerky and rude child.
DeleteI believe that it's okay for parents to have a guiding hand in teens social lives. Maybe not CONTROL over it but they can be involved. The people teens hangout with should be good people who make them feel good and who make good decisions. Parents have the right to say something when people you're hanging out with are not doing the right thing but ONLY when it's a real danger to their child not just someone they don't like because they're annoying and stuff. I think that most parents do what they do - make the rules they do - because they love their kids and they want to protect them. As for where the teen goes and what time they need to be home, it's important for parents to set limits the younger teens are. The world is evolving and we are much more aware of the possible dangers which causes parents to want to know where we are at certain points in the day and that is understandable. I think parents should be reasonable with their rules. If the teen is a responsible person then they will make the right choices while out and honor the parent's wishes of a curfew. I think that it is somewhat fair for girls and boys to have different rules just in the way that girls (especially teenage girls) are often seen as vulnerable and more susceptible to abduction and or harrassment/abuse. But I think that other than that - girls and boys should have the same rules.
ReplyDeleteI agree that parents should have a guiding hand in a child's social life and that they should have the right to know where their children are and stop them from going places. I think parents have the right to say something to their kids if they don't like their friends but I don't think they should be able to force them to stop hanging out with them at that point it is the kids choice. I also know that it is more likely for a girl to be kidnapped but I don't think that means you should stop girls from being able to go out because of fear I think that they should have the same rules as anyone else.
DeleteAgain I agree. I'm not a feminist or anything, and don't really enjoy any of the labels, but I still find it unfair to have different rules for both of the sexes. There are reasons for different rules, and they are well intended, but that doesn't make them fair
ReplyDeleteI agree, in today's society there is no room for inequality regardless of sex, age, orientation, etc. But I disagree that there are reason for different rules. It does differ from family to family, but they should be the same across the board for children in the same house.
DeleteThank god Gordon, I thought you were a feminist.
DeleteI agree, there should be equality in between males and females, as they are both equally important in society. You can't have one without the other!
DeleteI feel like there should be some input from parents, but teenagers should have the right to make some of their own decisions. I think that a curfew is a good restriction on teenagers because parents should know where their children are and when they will get back home. I don't think that it makes sense to have different restrictions on children simply based on their gender (Let's face it: Not all boys like blue and not all girls like pink), but I do think that it makes sense to restrict children based on their age.
ReplyDeleteI agree, some restrictions should be made, like curfew, and they shouldnt control what their child does and does not like.
DeleteParents should have little to some control over their children. The best way to learn something is by experience, and letting the kids make their own decisions and learn cause and effect while they're young is great because they are still in the house and they can fall back on the parents. Being a strict parent doesn't allow your kid to make their own decisions, so they grow up to rebel. Juliet had strict parents, so she went behind them and sneakily married Romeo. Romeo's case is quite the opposite, his parents don't really seem to reprimand him for the antics he pulls. He does whatever he wants and ends up making bad decisions because his parents had too little control. They say opposites attract, i guess they do.
ReplyDeleteGood point; Juliet and Romeo were raised very differently. I believe part of that is because they came from separate households and had different parents, but I also think their gender was an influencing factor. In Act II, Scene 4, Juliet sends her nurse to talk to Romeo instead of going to see Romeo herself. Throughout the play, Romeo and his friends are seen doing as they please and going where they please. Romeo only meets Juliet because he sneaks into a Capulet part in Act I, Scene 5. Romeo, Tybalt, and Mercutio fight in the streets of Verona, but Juliet isn't there to witness it. I believe this is partly because she is nobility, and has more of a reputation to uphold and responsibilities to attend to - but then again, Romeo is also of a noble house and faces no constrictions from his parents. Juliet is a woman, and so is expected to perform domestic duties. It is also likely that her parents didn't want her to fall in love or have a relationship with someone she may have met, because her purpose as a noble woman is to marry well.
DeleteIn Act III, Scene 4, Lord Capulet decides to marry Juliet to Paris with out speaking to her first. This shows how he has complete control over Juliet's life and makes decisions for her. Capulet says he does not doubt that Juliet will do whatever he says (..."I think she will be ruled in all respects by me. Nay, more, I doubt it not..." Act III, Scene 4, lines 12 - 14). This shows how he expects obedience from Juliet, even though he is giving away her hand in marriage without her consent.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is a parents job to guide and help their child through life, but I also think that it's a parent's job to get their child ready for life. Meaning, that slowly they should let go of their kid, and let them make their own decisions in life, but should set them up with good decision making skills. Instead of making rules and boundaries, which can be good sometimes, I think parents should make expectations, but also let their kid figure out some things on their own, liking dating, friends. Overall, I believe that parents should be their for their kids if they need, and can help them in times of struggle, but some things are better if learned on through own expereince.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you I think a parent is the main thing for a child to have in their life but if it is controlling throughout their entire life just for power or money. The parents need to rethink about what they are doing to their child. It could possibly end up hurting them in the future or even worse end up hurting others especially in bigger groups. Because without guidance there is no rules of how a person can act and that can end up being bad but also if a person has to many rules they are not living as a person.
DeleteI agree I think that parents can provide a lot of wisdom towards their child. And parents are there to love and protect their kids so if they feel like their child is getting themselves into a bad situation I think they have the right to keep them from going somewhere or being with soemone.
DeleteI agree with you I think that parents should be there to guide their child and teach them good principles and standards when they are young but when they grow up they should be able to make their own mistakes and have their own opinions an personality and the best thing you can give your kid when they're a teen is a little independence but not too much. Teenage years should be your golden years and you should let your kid enjoy it cause it only happens once.
DeleteAgreed. A lot of parents do this, however it is sad when you see a parent take complete control over a child or the opposite. It sucks that some parent completely let go of their children as well.
DeleteA parent should have some control over the social life of a teenager. Some restrictions on a teenager’s freedom that I think is reasonable is that teenagers should be able to socialize with whoever they want with the parent's knowledge, a curfew could be set a reasonable time, and they can date anyone within a certain age limit. Parents should have a sense of security when their child is out with someone. In Romeo and Juliet, the Capulets and the Montagues have different rules and expectations for their children; I think it is because of the time they are in and where they are. There aren't many parents who have different rules for teenage girls and boys but some do because they might think that teenagers aren't equal and that they act differently. It is not fair for boys and girls to have different rules in my opinion because there is no difference between them, what they do, and how they act.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, everything you said is spot on with what I believe. Parents should have some control like curfews and having at least an opinion on who theyre dating.
DeleteRestrictions can promote rebellion and lack of restraint can lead to bad decisions so I think parents should be somewhere in the middle. Parents should not make it different for boys and girls but rather teach them different things to them specifically according to their needs or interests. I don't think parents should restrict our social lives, but they should know where we're going, what we're doing and build good trust through letting us experiment and learn things. Parents can be very beneficial and need to be active when we're kids but shouldn't be too pushy or direct when we're our age.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Children of helicopter parents tend to be more rebellious and end up treating their kids like that. I also agree on your point on gender bias in a household. I don't like seeing when males are treated different than females, and females are treated differently than males.
DeleteI think that there are too general types of bad parenting too much restriction or not enough Romeo and Juliets' parents are very good examples of these and the sexism of their rules as parents. Juliet's parents are too harsh on her a way to strict for her to be truly happy. whereas Romeo's parents dismiss his bad behavior completely and give him too many freedoms. These two examples of parenting are also good examples of sexist parenting and the fact that in those times boys were allowed to run wild and free and even go missing for a couple of days without notice or punishment. However girls were basically quarantined to their homes unless given permission and owned by their fathers until they were married and then they belonged to their husbands
ReplyDeleteAs a girl in a Mexican household I've realized that my brothers have had it easier than me. As a boy all they do is eat and sleep, if they want to they clean, but me as a girl I do most of the cleaning now. Also their dating life started since elementary and my parents have been okay with that. But with me, I was allowed to date after I turned 15. It is so unfair that they are so privileged. Something that I hear a lot is "I don't do this because I a man... I do this BECAUSE I'm a man..." And to be honest, that angers me more than anything. The rules parents have for their kids should be the same for both genders. Parents shouldn't have any control over their kids love life, the only thing they should do is give advice about it. They should have limits, yes, but with like where they can go and what is appropriate for them to do.
ReplyDeleteCOMPLETELY agree, I am of the opposite gender, but I understand how you feel. There should not be a difference between males and females in a household, and having differences makes it completely unfair.
DeleteI think that a parent should have some control over a teenager. If a parent has a curfew that is around the city curfew, that is fine, but if they make them go in without reason and way too early, I think that is unfair.
ReplyDeleteI believe that parents have different rules for males than females, because they dont want to have responsibility for a child if a femal gets pregnant, but if a male gets someone pregnant I have just seen parents kick them out. I don't think that this is fair, as parents should drill into their children what is and isn't right.
ReplyDeleteI agree, parents should not control what their children do, and why they do it, with exceptions like curfew.
ReplyDelete