Freedom and Responsibility

Whenever I have a meeting with parents and a student, one thing I routinely talk about with them is freedom verses responsibility.  If there is conflict between parents and students it usually comes down to this battle between freedom and responsibility.

The student will focus on what their freedoms should be, while the parent(s) will focus on what responsibilities their child has.  A parent naturally wants their child to take on more and more responsibilities as they grow up.  The goal(usually) is for their child to become a successful responsible adult that has a job, lives in their own place and pays their own bills.  They also would want their child to respect themselves and others.  As a Christian, a parent's top priority would be that their child has accepted Christ as their savior and is living a life that glorifies Jesus.

The student, in conflict, will usually be focussing on what their freedoms 'should' be.  I tell my students that they need to focus on what their responsibilities are.  As a student focuses on their responsibilities they usually earn and are naturally given more and more freedoms.  I tell my students to be responsible and trust their parents to give them freedoms as they earn the right to them.

FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY SHAKE HANDS

Day 67