“Give me your phone!” “ Come home right away!” “ You can’t go out with a room like that!” Parents/guardians might just be looking out for their adolescents, but there comes a time when it can feel overwhelming.

The transition from child to teen to adult is already dreadfully awkward enough, but not being trusted with independence can worsen.

If a parent has to tell their child everything they need to do, then the child won’t be able to explore their desires or feel ready enough for adulthood fully.  Instead, teens should be trusted to make some decisions on their own.

WJPS sophomore Danya Ramirez explained, “Allowing young adults to have more independence helps them find out who they are and what they want since they aren’t restricted by dressing and acting a certain way.”

WJPS senior Ariel Dupoux added, “I think teens should be granted more independence because it helps them gain a higher financial literacy and helps them gain the social skills that are needed in the real world.”

On the bright side, adolescents can prove they can be trusted with independence through their actions like maintaining a clean room, getting a job, or watching after younger siblings.

“Handshake 52/365” by baggyjumper is marked with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.