Amber Keller / L’Observateur / February 23, 2000

It seems lately we have had a lot of little confrontations at our house. Nothingmajor, but I just don’t get my parents sometimes. This is my mom’s attempt to tryto explain where they are coming from. She hopes that maybe somehow, all teen-agers will get a glimpse into the parents point of view. Here she goes:When a friend calls me and asks for directions to a certain place they are going, they usually choose to call me because I have been there before. They feel surethat I, having traveled that road before, knows the right way to get there. Havingthese directions can make their trip easier.

This is the way it is with parents and children. What children, especially almostgrown-up children, don’t seem to understand about a parent’s advice is that the parents are trying to give them the view from the part of the road they are on now with the wisdom that comes from having gone further down that highway. Noloving parent would ever send their child down a street and not warn them if they knew there were huge potholes in it. No caring parent wants to see their childspeeding ahead when they know there is a sharp turn or even a cliff up ahead.

As parents, we realize that eventually we will have to hand over the keys and let our kids choose the right path for themselves. When kids get to be seniors in highschool they feel like they have arrived. They think they are on the top of the hill.They often don’t see all the many hills that lie ahead.

We, as parents just want them to arrive safely at the destination that is right for them. Even when they take a wrong turn, or get into a wreck, we will be there; notto say, “I told you so,” but because we love them so much.

If you have any questions or comments, contact me at straightkids@juno.com orP.O. Box 1493, LaPlace, LA 70069.

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