Is it morally right for a parent to not allow a child a social life?

Question

Is it morally right for a parent to not allow a child a social life, force them to believe in a religion they do not want to and ignore self-harm and depression from the child?

Answer 1

I'm a parent, and I encourage my two boys to have a social life, the more friends they have the happier I am !!!
It is morally wrong for a parent to take away something as natural as a social life, to me..it is a mild form of abuse ! As a species, we are meant to be sociable , it is natural to humans, so taking that away is very wrong !
I don't think there's anything wrong with encouraging the kids to follow a religious belief ( if it's for their benefit) but forcing anything on a child is just cruel and it breaks my heart when I hear such stories !
I think people should respect kids a bit more, listen to them, guide them, advice them and put them back on the right path if or when they stray, they must NOT suffocate them because of what they believe, or for fear of being judged by their community ! Children are not their parents " property" ..they are given life so that that they can live it as happily as possible, not to be deprived of something as natural as this .
If you're talking about yourself, then I feel for you . Please try and get some help, try talking to someone at school they may be able to help as self-harming and depression at such a young age is not a good start. These parents should be ashamed of themselves, how cruel can you get ?
That is not healthy for any child, please find a way to get away from it if possible,I don't mean run away or anything, but look at your options, talk to someone, maybe there's a more understanding relative you can turn to ?
I wish you all the best, my heart goes out to you hun.

Answer 2

When you say a child, how old? How much of a social life will depend on several things, not just that the child wants to hang out with his/hers friends.
As far as religion, there are some religions that teaches absolute morality. That is what right is right and what is wrong is wrong. If your parents religion teaches this, then what's wrong with that?

You need to ask yourself what type of social life you want and why? Why don't you want to believe in your parents religion and what harm is it doing?

Answer 3

No, it's damaging. By not allowing a child to have a social life you're cutting off their self-esteem, confidence, communication skills and interaction skills and so much more. It's very important for a child to have relations with their peers for so many reasons. I also believe it's wrong to force children or anyone else to believe in a religion that they don't entirely understand or accept. Don't get me wrong, I think Religion is important and a very powerful tool for faith, hope and a higher power that one needs, but it's unhealthy to enforce religion on someone who does not want it. As for ignoring self-harm and depression, I think it's wrong because it's a way of crying out for help and support that ignoring the issue is devastating for the individual and wrong and can lead to a tragic outcome.

Answer 4

My grandfather was so hard on his oldest son, that the poor guy became mentally ill. He was already emotionally fragile. It didn't help that my uncle grew up in rural Nebraska during the McCarthy era and being a Jehovah's Witness. Everyone was mean to him and broke his will. His dad never let him leave the farm or gave him a social security number. He stays cooped up in his trailer most of the time. He wears raggy old clothes and hats made out of newspaper. Whenever the family has visitors, he goes and hides in a corn bin. He has lost a lot of weight. Imagine living like this your whole life and being in your 60's now.

I know we're not talking about backward farmers here, but a parent's grudge and paranoia can be his kids' undoing.

Answer 5

Morals are not dictated by others; they are a choice that every individual must explore.

However, I personally think that denying a child the opportunity to learn life lessons is setting the child up to fail as an adult. I think it's important for children to experience a lot of things--including difficulty and failure--while there is a loving, supportive parent to guide him through it.

Only idiots would ignore their children who exhibit signs of self-harm and depression.

Answer 6

Yes it is very wrong! Religion is an individual choice. It shouldn't be forced. To keep a child from a healthy social life is a sin by itself. It's usually based on fear that the devil might get them or something! So the kid grows up unable to function socially and scared of it's own shadow! That ain't right!!! It's wrong and God ain't in it!

Answer 7

No one can force you to believe in a religion. You can be taken to a place of worship, if you are not old enough to be left at home on your own & can't be left with anyone else. When you are allowed out do you behave sensibly? Do you give your parents any reasons not to trust you? If you are self harming & depressed try contacting Childline. It is a free phone number. They will listen & hopefully give you advice.

Answer 8

absolutely.
A child needs to have the ability to socialize. and interact with all ages. Then he/ or she will develope strength, opinions, values, respect, all threw the art of communication. Nothing is worse then a child not having the ability to properly communicate his wants and needs to others.
You can immediately tell when lack of focas has been put into child upon meeting and speaking to that child.
It is so critical, if you worry about wrong interaction w/others, such as the bad seeds, enroll into scouts, it's about $30 a year,and a great social setting envoiroment.

Answer 9

No. when kids get to upper school there life slowly becomes there own, they need to make their own choices about religion etc and be set free. i would never force a child into such a thing. Self harm HAS to be helped, what if it turns from self harm to suicide or from self harm to harming others, cant just be swept under the carpet

Answer 10

Children defiantly need to have a social life, but I think that parents should be involved. Know where they are going, who their friends are, etc. and ask them what their views are on things. That way you can get an idea of what's going on in their lives without pushing beliefs on them or making them feel intimidated. Also I think that sometimes the more strict parents are or the more they push their kids, the more likely the kids are to rebel. Just be open and understanding; kids need to know that you'll love them unconditionally.