In an effort to set guidelines for acceptable teenage behavior, parents and other adults in authority often make rules that restrict the freedoms of the individual. How much freedom and responsibility should teenagers have in making their own decisions should be based on their level of maturity? When I was younger, I put doing my homework off until the last possible moment. This resulted in my parents taking away TV privileges until my homework was done. My staying out past my curfew resulted in my driving rights being taken away until I proved I could follow the rules. Failure to complete my chores resulted in my being restricted from playing video games, or going to a friend’s house. I soon learned that I must follow the rules to enjoy the freedom to do what I wanted to do. I went through a lot of trial and error situations to learn this lesson.
Some Rules set for teens are in place to protect the teen and other around them. One of the rules is a curfew set for teen to home at a certain time. It’s in place to keep kids off the street during the night and at home where they would be safe. Another is the age limit for drinking and smoking. Most states age is set at 18 for smoking and 21 for drinking. By placing the limit on drinking and smoking it is in hope to keep the younger children from using these in the can choose for themselves. One more rule that is in place is on games and movies. This helps parents know what kind of game or movie their child is playing or watching. The higher the rating the more bad the game is for younger children. Finally the rule is the age limit on driving. Some teenagers don’t show a great level of maturity. So in till they can show that they can handle that level they should be restricted in what freedoms they can have. They can be a danger for all other drivers on the road. Once they can show that they have the level of maturity to be able to drive responsibly should they be given a driver’s license. That is why it is important to base the rules being set for teens based on their level of maturity.
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