Parenting Philosophy

For the first time I read this philosophy from Dr James Dobson's book "Confident Families part 1". One of the best thing parents can do for their children is to prepare them to face adulthood. 

Cartoon from www.rebert.foo.my.

In a way, whole time we have during their childhood is so that they can stand on their own as they grow.

The parental function then is to consciously teach the child to be independent as much as possible and as maturity permits. At birth they are 100% dependent. As the years of schooling days come, their dependence on parents lessen. And much more as the college years sets in. He says, by the time they reach 20 years of age, they should be completely on their own. Of course he is talking in American context. But he has good point that we need to aim for a set year to release our child into a matured person, ready to face the world on their own. 

Parental authority beyond those year is advisory in nature. We are not the complete authority in their live. 

Difficult to let our child move on that stage but necessary for them to live matured adult life.