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Kenisha Davis
June 2, 2016
English 112
Argumentative Essay
Freedom Among Age Not Race
Freedom has always been a current issue in not only the past, but the present as well. What is the
true definition? Freedom can be defined as the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without
hindrance or restraint. In simple terms, freedom means someone can do whatever they want in their life as
long as it is not against law. This essay is not talking about freedom for slaves or races, rather freedom for
children to have a more open lifestyle. Nowadays, many parents do not trust their own children, and some
of them take action by controlling their childrens lives and activities. This is not the best way for children
because it makes them feel stress and it will lead them to commit crime and vandalisms. In my opinion,
children should be given freedom because they can learn how to manage their own lives without
influence from others. Children of today should be given freedom for their own benefit.
Many people assume that children need to learn on their own, while others think some children
are too immature to have that much freedom. One debater argues that children are already given so much
freedom and tolerance nowadays, there should not be anymore for them. For that simple reason, they are
not mature enough. Although this debater does not say so directly, he or she apparently assumes that
many children are immature, along with arguing that children cannot justify things correctly. Other
people's opinions include that children get as much as they deserve. For example, one father said he
worries about his children and that they should be monitored at all times.
I've got five kids from the age 19 down to 2-and-a-half and they all tell me, 'Dad, you treat me
like a baby... Dad you treat me like a baby!' Because I let them do what they want to do but, I'm
always shadowing them. I'll take them there or I'll pick them up or make sure that I'm always in
contact with them...For me to put my kids out there in a society where I know police are needed,
because there are something like 35,000 abductions a year, I tell my kids all the time that adults

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get abducted every day. I mean my kid is really a vulnerable human being out there. They're not
strong enough. They're not old enough to defend themselves if something did happen. (Mahon)
Parents are the ones who are able to choose how much freedom a child gets. When a parent decides that a
child gets a large amount of things, it means that the child is deserving of that much, so if a child wants
more freedoms than they have to prove to others that they can act mature. No one wants to give freedoms
to someone who doesn't know how to act correctly.
Unfortunately, the good outweighs the bad when it comes to children having more freedom. First,
children should be given freedom to make their own decisions regarding what they want to do in their
lives. This way, children know how to manage their own lives, and they will learn how to solve any
problems that they may face in the future. For example, one mother would never let her children out, not
even in the backyard until a trip overseas changed her mind.
We went to Europe for one summer, and I saw kids taking the subway and the train all by
themselves and they were even younger than my children... When we came back it really
changed the way I looked at what I had been doing to my children, and I realized I had enabled
them so much that two blocks from home they thought they were lost and they were scared all
the time that they were by themselves. It really taught me a lesson to let them explore a little bit
in safe places and in safe amounts and they're so much more independent now. (Mahon)
Parents should support and not just condemn or control them for doing anything they want. All children in
this world have their own lives, and they always want the best for it. For example, children can make their
decisions to choose their courses at school, and parents should support them as they know their ability on
what they can do and can accept. Besides, children should be able to do what they want as long as they do
not go against the law and their own parents. Parent can admonish their children if they do make any
mistakes but do not suck them into doing something that they do not like because they also should given a
chance to overcome their own mistakes (M). In my opinion parents can control their own child, however,
make sure they can do something that they want to do because a parent cannot treat them as though they

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do not know anything. Just give them chances to go along with their life, hobbies, or anything that can
lead them to manage their lives.
Last but not least, parents should give their children freedom to choose their own friends. This
will help them communicate with others, even in different races or gender. Children have their personal
possessions to make and choose friends as they know what they need in a friendship, and parents need to
monitor their children to avoid them to take a wrong way in their lives but not shackle their life (M). So,
in this way, children will feel that they have their own lives and they have a parent that always supports
them in whatever they do so the relationship between parent and children will become more tight.
In a nutshell, children need their own freedom to make their own decisions, do what they want,
and even choose their own friends. In this issue, we need to know that all people have their own freedom
even for children because different people have different stories in their lives. Remember that success is
not the key to happiness, but happiness is the true key of success. So, if children are proud of what they
do, then they will be successful in their lives.

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Works Cited
M, WaWa. "Freedom for Children." Freedom for Children. TeenInk, n.d. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
Mahon, Madelyn. "Free-range Parenting: How Much Freedom Should Kids Have?" MPR News.
Minnesota Public Radio, 25 Feb. 2015. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.