I
would like to respond to a letter about parenting.
If
my 14-year-old son stays out late, I cannot legally grab him by the hair and
force him into my house or tie him up to keep him home. He can leave whenever
he chooses and the state and schools make
sure he is aware of it.
At
age 12, my daughter asked me to put her on the pill. I
gave her my reasons for not doing so. A
woman from Family Services (contracted by the school) came
to my home, listened to my reasons and proceeded to tell
my daughter that she did not need to get my permission or
even inform me that she is going on the pill. I
immediately showed her the door.
If
my 16-year-old son does not want to go to school, he
can’t withdraw until age 18 without my permission. However,
if he just doesn’t go, there are no consequences.
Truancy
laws and courts are for children 15 and below…
(A letter titled Defiant Children and Outside Interference Thwart Mother by Kathy Carpenter of Newark, Delaware and published in The News Journal of May 12, 2006).
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