I'd like to know what everyone's opinion is on parenting. I for one, believe that over-protective parents can be just as bad as negligent parents to a degree. Most neglected children live lives based on survival of the fittest and try to find some group to fit in with because they have no real family. They turn to street gangs and other groups and do whatever they can to feel accepted. They end up developing a strong sense of street smarts and instincts but do not understand what love is. Generally, children of over-protective parents turn out better than neglected children, but I there are those that live in glass houses their entire childhood and adolescence and never understand what it's like to really work hard and have to earn respect. Some of them have no idea what the real world is like. They may work hard in school, get good grades, but once they are out on their own they would have a hard time fending for themselves. I am extremely grateful for having parents that care about me and also don't sugarcoat anything. I have seen the good side of bad, the down side of up, and everything in between. I have experienced and know people from both extremes of the socio-economic spectrum and know people of all types of beliefs, values, customs, and races. I am happy that I had a chance to live life in the middle of the pack. A good even balance is what I believe is the best way to send a child out into the world on his or her own.
My parenting rules: 1) Never lie. This means no Santa Claus, no birds & bees, etc. 2) Never initiate force. Never strike or beat a child. If the child is doing something you don't like, you are well within your rights to forcefully eject the child from your property or threaten to stop feeding it. But if the child wants to leave, you can't stop it. 3) Set up clear property distinctions, giving the kid his own property (a room, some stuff) and rights thereof (e.g. it can tell you to leave its room and you must), and making sure it understands your property rights (e.g. you can tell it to leave the rest of the house or stop using your computer or stop eating your food or whatever). But don't be a dick about it, only exercise your property rights for good sound reasons, not just cus you're grumpy. 4) Try not to indoctrinate the kid too much. Some indoctrination will be impossible to avoid, but try to remind the kid often that he should think for itself and never believe something just because someone says it. Encourage it to argue with you about your beliefs, never say "because I say so". Unfortunately the full application of these rules is illegal in most countries.