KLODI’S ESAY

Many young people who enter higher education choose to study in their hometown and continue
living with their parents throughout their university years. This reflects the changing values of
young people and their need for security and familiarity. Nevertheless, it has become
increasingly clear that a college education must include the development of independent life
skills that enable students to live and thrive in college and beyond. The involvement of parents in
the lives and decisions of their children can be a blessing or a curse. Parental involvement can
promote and support independence in their children and help them to develop the necessary skills
for independent living. On the other hand, excessive parental involvement in their children's lives
can deprive them of the essential learning experiences they need to become responsible adults.
Parents need to encourage their children to take responsibility for their own lives and to make
important decisions without relying on the advice of their parents. They should give them the
freedom to make their own mistakes and learn from these mistakes. According to Jeffrey Arnett,
Ph. D. (2002), children need to experience new situations and challenges in order to develop
fully as individuals and become self-sufficient and independent. They need to develop their own
goals and find their own solutions to the problems they face in their lives. They need to learn to
accept responsibility for their actions and accept the consequences of these decisions. They need
to learn how to cope with failure and disappointment and bounce back from these setbacks with
dignity and self-confidence.