Leah Linzaga J. Odien November 10, 2010 English 1A Free the Children Parents want to provide what is best for their kids. However, sometimes we forget to provide what they need. Our culture has become so overtaken by the burden to succeed, that we push our tots to zip past their youth. Ultimately, the anxieties of overachieving will take the children’s happiness as their victims.

Gibbs’ “Free the Children” states her apprehension against our culture’s fixation on “achieving. She believes that children should be given the chance to explore the world around them, make mistakes, and enjoy life without the constant fear of anyone “keeping score” (Gibbs, Free). Children are being robbed of their right to a fulfilling childhood by the high expectations and continual pressures of society. According to the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights, Play has been recognized as a right for every child (Bilich), yet some do not use their privilege. Instead, they are curbed by a mounting demand “to be better”.

This propels them to premature adulthood, resulting in them yearning for autonomy. These high expectations being set on kids are “often unrealistic and are connected by media hype. ” Gibbs’ emphasizes the need to let children just be children, asking parents to have some guts and grant some liberty.

After all, children require relaxation as well. Research suggests that “a brain in its relaxed state is more creative, makes more nuanced connections and is ripe for eureka moments”(Gibbs, Backlash).Relinquishing the desire to manage every aspect of your child’s life will alleviate the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Worrying about your kids’ safety and success is comprehensible, but to obsess over it is not. Overprotective parents only delay their child’s independence, or even inhibit it. “What could be more natural than worrying that your child might be trampled by the great, scary, globally competitive world into which she will one day be launched? ” (Gibbs, Backlash) I believe nothing is, but “the way kids learn to be resourceful is by having to use their resources” (Gibbs, Backlash).Parents fear their children will not be ready once on their own, but how will they know, if they don’t give the kids a chance to contradict them. “The key to helping your child reach his potential…is to find the right balance between work and play” (Bilich) by doing so, your child will significantly grow up a happier, well-rounded person.

Encouraging the kids to appreciate hard-work and down-time, will allow your tyke to be better adjusted for the awaiting world. By allowing them to interact and play, they will learn skills that can help them be more productive.Encourage their imagination, their passion for fun. Eventually, they will learn to be capable, independent, individuals as they move through life.

Works Cited Bilich, Karin. “The Importance of Play” Parents. com. Web. 02 Nov. 2010 Gibbs, Nancy. “Free the Children.

” Time. 06 July 2003. Web. 02 Nov. 2010 Gibbs, Nancy. “The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting.

” Time. 20 Nov. 2009. Web.

02 Nov. 2010 Gross, Gail Dr. “Are You Giving Your Kids Hurried Child Syndrome” DOC.

02 Nov. 2010