yes. you cannot be a child's friend. they need a parent.

I would say I am lenient with my children about certain issues. But the big issues I tell them how I feel and try to persuade them into believing I was right,sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Kids will listen to their parents only so much of the time.Everyone lives and learns and has to realize that all decisions are individual decisions parents job is to lead them to the best of their ability and hope for the best.

Yes , definitely. Fundamental manners have to be taught from a young age because I see a sad , worrying ,lack of them around.

You can not generalize here, I think. Here's my two cents (and a theory if I may) Given the general state of marriage and broken homes these days, it's no wonder some parents feel the need to compensate the feelings of guilt for the relationship not working and "depriving" their children of a united family. This to me translates into overcompensating for that fact and being more lenient towards the children. Add to that the fact that the "real-time" parenting is done mostly in single-parent households, so there might be the lack of a father (or mother) figure to complete that education and raising process. Sure, all this can happen as well in homes with both parents, but like I said, that's my theory, I might be wrong. Hope all this made some sort of sense : )

seems like modern parents give their kids too many 'things' and don't really take the time to talk to their children and teach them the importance of solidarity and awareness. i guess it makes sense considering the capitalist structure that forces us to think that we need to think so individualistically. its sad because we lose sight of what is really important and unfortunately the kids are the ones who have to learn the hard way, ill prepared to deal with the real world. i also believe that parents should treat their children as equals, having said this yes there needs to be clear boundaries and discipline but when discussing important issues children need to feel like their opinions are being heard and are valid also. children need to understand the importance of respect and honesty as well as empathy and forgivness, which is the parents job. i am so sick of parents expecting us teachers to teach their kids all these things.

i know that iam , but i try to teach them the best that i can.

Absolutely. That's why the criminal courts are full...

I think they are. Too many times I see parents pleading and begging children to do something or to stop doing something only to have the child say "NO" and the parent to back down. Sometimes I really wonder who the heck is in charge anyway. Many young parents don't seem comfortable being with their own children and feel they must have other friends or family around them when their kids are with them. They send them off to school with no basic foundations for how to behave like a human and expect teachers to teach them everything.

It strikes me that many parents don't want to take the time and effort necessary to teach their kids, correct them, make sure they act politely in public places, restaurants, etc. My impressions is that many parents are just plain tired. Kids will see how far they can push their boundaries. If the parents aren't on top of things, the kids take control. Then the kids eventually become a problem for others around them. So I don't think it's because parents choose to be lenient....it happens by default.

Yes. much too lenient. Parents are too fond of allowing the TV or PC Games to act as babysitters. They cannot teach children self discipline and manners.

yeah i think so. cause they want their child to have everything that they could not have before, as kids. nowadays parents too have stopped taking their lives too seriously and started enjoying life.i guess they want the same thing for their kids.

I think they are. So many kids are doing drugs, drinking, smoking, and having sex. Parents need to discipline their children more.

YES YES YES IM 22YRS OLD AND I BROTHER GETS AWAY WITH EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN. FOR EXAMPLE HES BEEN SAYING HES DOING HIS HOMEWORK AND HE HAS GOOD GRADES HES NEVER LIED BEORE SO WE BELIEVED HIM. END OF THE YAER COME AROUND THEY PAY FOR HIM TO GO TO FOOTBALL CAMP AND I BUY HIM NEW CLEETS AND THE FOOTBALL GEAR BEING PROUD HES DOING GOOD IN SCHOOL AND HES GOING TO BE PLAYING FOOTBALL. WE FIND OUT FROM THE COACH HE HAS 3D'S AND 1 F IN MATH. IM FURIOUS KNOWING HES GOING TO GET IN TROUBLE AND BE PUNISH, WRONG THEY LET HIM GO TO THE FOOTBALL CAMP THEY SAY BECAUSE ITS PAID FOR I SAY SO. HE COMES BACK GOES TO SUMMER SCHOOL FOR ONLY ONE CLASS. AND AFTER THAT THEY LET HIMWATCH TV AND TALK ON THE PHONE HE JUST CANT GO ANY WHERE. ALL THERE TECHING HIM TO BE IS FAT AND LAZY...I WOULD HAVE GROUNDED HIM AND THAT CONSIST OF: NO TV,NO PHONE,NO MUSIC, NO CAMP HE WOULD HAVE GOT A WEEEKEND JOB TO PAYBACK THE COST OF THE FOOTNALL CAMP,HE WOULD HAVE STARTED SUMMER SCHOOL EARLY MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR HIMTO TAKE 3CLASSES THAT SUMMER NOT 1, HE WOULD BE DOING EXTRA WORK FOR THE SUBJECTS HE FAILED BECAUS D'S ARE F'S TO ME, ETC I GOT A HEADACHE EVERYDAY WATCHING MY BROTHER UNKNOWING MESS HIS LIFE UP AND MY PARENTS LETING HIM. PARENTS ARE TOO CONSUMED WITH THERE LIFES AND WHATS GOING ON WITH THEM TO TAKE TIME OUT TO PAY ATTENTION. EITHER ITS THERE CAREER OR THEY JUST DONT WANT TO GO DOWN TO SCHOOL OR TALK TO TEACHERS PARENTING TAKES TOO MUCH ENERGY SO PARENTS HALF WAY PARENT THINKING THE SCHOOL ARE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS WILL BABYSIT BUT BABYSITTING ISNT A SUBSITUTE FOR ACTUAL PARENTING.

Absolutely not... because today you can not use any form of discipline on your child(ren). Some places will actually arrest you for trying to keep your kid(s) on the staight and narrow. But as soon as they screw up who gets to pay the piper? The parents of course, which is not fair.

They may be but what I think is more of an issue and possibly the reason behind being lenient is parents don't have the strong values and principled foundation that parents and grandparents used to have. The world is changing and moving so fast, it's hard to keep pace and people don't know what to believe, what is important, where to set priorities. They pick the wrong battles miss the good teaching opportunities. It's like people don't know what to stand for and how to pass that on to their children. They don't know how to be the good examples that really teach children how to be good people. They are too quick to take the easy way out, letting TV and DVDs teach their kids early in life what they should be by their own examples, in voice, in actions, in thoughts, in beliefs. Instead of a family working together like in the past, now we each have outside things we do separately so 'family time' is now only recreation and that's not a serious enough time or long enough to teach everything kids need to know, to become good human beings and to feel secure.

Yes, some of them are I have nephews and neices that I would love to spent more time with, but there bad behavior prevents me from doing so, because their parents have no order in the house, and the kids rule the roost, sad really because no one wnats to spent time with kids like that.

I absolutely think so! Kids don't learn manners, they are so spoiled with being showered with everything under the sun...they grow up expecting that they are owed simply because they are alive. They are allowed to run the streets or go where ever they want..when they want. They are carted around from one activity to another to keep them occupied. They don't know how to occupy their own time and use their imagination. They don't know how to work or are not taught the basics of taking care of themselves..like cooking, laundry..etc. Parents are too consumed with their own lives that kids don't know what it is like to have a close family life of being together, eating together, spending time together. OK OK....I am on a roll..need to stop. Oh yes..one more thing....they don't know the word "NO"

yes. and it will only get worst as the child gets older. and then these parents want you to feel sorry for them. like "Time Out" what the hell. my dad would take "Time Out" of his day to whoop my ass. you know.

I would have to say that in most cases or issues that would be a yes. I am married to a wonderful woman who has 3 children, 2 boys, 13 and 15, and a girl 17. We have been together for 4 years now, she is a widow of 6 years. She allowed her daughter at 14 to go out of town on a regular basis for weekends with her older friends, and stay out until 1 or 2 in the morning. Now at 17, my wife has no problem allowing her to date men whom are 23-25 years old. I try to speak up of my opinion of this, and she replies that she "trusts" her daughter. I say then "you can trust her in the maternaty ward too". I feel that if you place the "door of opportunity" in front of these children often enough, they will surely go through it. I don't feel one should "lock up" children either, but one doesn't have to give them so much rope it will be too hard to pull them back in, enough rope to hang themselves with is sufficient. There's an old saying about "nothing good happens after midnight" is a great saying. The law in Colorado says a person under 18 cannot drive after midnight, but my wife says "she's just going to a friends house" , Well then why can't she go to a "friends house" at a descent hour, not at 11PM to "watch a movie". Yes, the rules and guidelines are way too lenient in my eyes. Thanks

yes., the children feel they can do whatever they want and literally get away with it, since mom or pop wont really discipline them. when a child is doing wrong. they need structure and learn what is right and wrong, so,discipline as in time out for tots and punishment in a form of 'you're grounded and privlages taken away for 6 to 17 yr olds. children need discipline and structure, and in our society today it is very little or non-existant.

On average, I think so yes. I have, however, known parents who were too strict with their children. And for me, I sometimes feel I am too strict, but I also feel that spending time with my children and paying attention to them, and being available to them as a constant role-model instead of leaving them to fend for themselves makes a much bigger difference to their lives than any strict/lax parenting style I may adopt.

They are in my neighborhood. I asked my son to do something one time when he was their ages. I hear the parents asking over and over and over again for their child to do something. And the kids just keep on playing. I think my way was better. Come when I call you the first time or expect a time out. Kids on this block have the upper hand. Sad.

Often they are - if the number of kids acting brattily in shopping centres and other places is any indication. But I also think parents can be too strict about things like homework and extracurricular activities as kids need time just to be kids. I think if kids aren't pulled into gear when they are really little, they could grow up to be juvenile delinquents. I see little kids hitting and kicking their parents and the parents don't try to restrain them from doing this. So then the kids most likely grow up to think it is okay to do the same to anybody who annoys them and doesn't do what they want.

It's terrible how spoiled kids are today. How much the parents won't discipline them, or are scared to out of fear of some busy body calling CPS when a child is being yelled at in a store, or the children throwing a fit so the parents just give them what they want without telling them no. I am asked all the time by my son "Why can't Ii since 'so-and-so' does?" And I tell him "Because you are my son and if so-and-so was my child the same rules would apply". And then you get the parents to make excuses for their kids. "Well, little Johnny didn't mean to push Joeys 's head into the fish tank and hurt him. He was just playing." Or "Well, you know that Sally didn't know that the Sharpie marker would permanently color in your couch." (Sally being 9 years old). When I was growing up my parents would have spanked me and/or grounded me when I misbehaved and I grew up to be a very respectful adult who understands the value of a dollar and good work ethic. Even before I was a kid parents would bring their kids to the police station when they did something wrong and let the police deal with it. I even heard stories of the police giving spankings to some kids. They grew up perfectly fine. In short, yes, parents are WAY too lenient with their children today, it makes it very difficult for those of us who actually try to raise our children with respect.

i think it is different when you are an adult. I am talking about those sculting years between birth and college. They need guidance and a helping hand not an acquiescent friend that excuses bad behavior that will hurt them, socieites and their children

not all of course but ive seen so many parents who are too lenient with thier kids, they want to do whats right and they think they're being fair by thier kids but they need to inforce some dicipline and rules, like basic things -curfews. Although, once a kid gets out of hand it can be difficult to earn that respect from your child back and get the back on track, fair dicipline; not over the top, it goes both ways, treat your kid fairly and with respect and you might be surprised by the outcome, its helped me!

waaay too lenient.

Most of them are.