When we are born, we are born with a purpose. Our parents are usually subconsciously convinced that the purpose of our lives is to fulfill their dreams. They are probably not really aware of it, but every move we make, they keep comparing it to their childhood and the way they were brought up. But what the parents do not realize is that we are born to reach our goals and fulfill our dreams. It is very difficult for parents to see how their child is not the way they thought it would be.

They are especially disappointed in their kid when he/she is in his/her teenage years. That is the time when a child almost completely changes. At least that is the way they see it. It is not true, really. After all, it is still the same child, it is only starting to grow up. That is a fact that is usually just too much for them (parents) to take. So they try to prevent it by forbidding a child certain things – such as going out, associating with certain people, etc.

They do not know that it is only preventing their child from trusting them. A child learns that he/she is not trusted and is not supposed to trust anyone. When a child grows up like this, it is much more difficult for him/her to socialize later, when he/she is adult and is supposed to do it. So I guess parents do more harm than good to their children when they are trying to slow down their development. They are not aware of it, of course.

As I look at the adults like this I really do not wish to grow up. All I see in their world is seriousness, there is no place for fun or joy. Maybe I am overreacting, but even adults themselves claim that the best times of their lifes were the teenage years. Sometimes I feel as if they are trying to make our youth miserable only out of jealousy. I suppose I am being a bit hard on them, but this is just an impression they leave me with.

Being a teenager is not all that easy. You do not belong anywhere – not with children or with adults. You are a child trapped in a growing body, which has gone mad with hormones. Beside that you are going through your first experiences in everything. It is a point in your life when you have to choose a way, if you make a mistake you are flushed down by the cruel stream of failure and destruction. You have to be very careful in everything you do. The hardest part is that you are not really ready for that kind of decisions. People prohibit you to do certain things telling you that you are not an adult yet. The irony is that after that they expect you to make serious decisions, which sometimes they are not even able to make for themselves.

I know that they really want what is best for us, but they sometimes forget that having fun is also a very important part of life. Sometimes they seem as if they have forgotten what they are doing it all for. Life may not always be easy and that is exactly why we must reach only for the things that bring us joy and pleasure. This is a philosophy of a child and a teenager. But as we grow they teach us not to think about it that way.

They teach us to try to suit other people, they try to lead us to a certain traditional model of perfection, which is appreciated among the adults. Adolescents have their own models, they do not care as much about other people’s opinion as they do about their own. I think this is the right way to think. It builds up your self-confidence and that is one of the most important things you need to survive in this jungle called – life.