Is It Time To Cut The Cord?

It’s the stage of life that every parent dreads. No, not the entirety of the ‘terrible teen’ years, it’s the age at which a parent has to ‘let go’ of their child and allow them to stand up to everything the big, bad world has to offer on their own two feet.

In virtually every case, this age varies. For some, external circumstances will create a situation where a child grows up quickly and for parents in this situation the time to ‘cut the cord’ will come a lot sooner than most. For these parents, the process will likely be a lot less painful as their child will have already experienced a degree of responsibility and built up the trust of their parents.

For other parents, the time for ‘cutting the cord’ will come a lot later on in life. There are an increasing amount of young people out of work and for young people to go through the early stages of their life without any employment; their perception of responsibility as well as the opportunities to build a trust with others (particularly their parents) becomes extremely limited.

A holiday independent of parents

A life event which is often the first signal of the cord being cut is a young person’s first holiday without the parents. There are enough programs on the television at the moment to make you realize that this is an important time for both the parent and the ‘child’; not just because it’s a time for the fledgling youngster to spread their wings a little and experience an extremity of the world, but because it is often the first time that a parent places their full trust in their child to fend for themselves over an extended period of time. For anyone who is an active viewer of television programs which capture these moments, you’ll be aware that the results of the holiday aren’t always what the parents neither expect nor wish for so a first holiday is often a nerve-wracking experience.

Off to College

A similar life event is when their child leaves for university. Granted not everyone will do this but a similar situation is when their child moves out for the first time. When a child as flown the nest, they really are put into a position where they have to fend for themselves (bar the odd suitcase full of clothes to be washed). Responsibilities are not just limited to ensuring their own safety; the onus also falls on ensuring their financial situation can cover their cost of living, equally nerve-wracking for any parent.

Liam Henderson is a secondary school head teacher and a father of two, who knows more than anyone the anguish parents can feel when their children finally leave home. Mr Henderson writes articles related to this sensitive issue for sites such as www.parents-booking.com.

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