My parents were not particularly strict in my upbringing. My dad was very hard on me in certain aspects, but, for the most part, they let me do what I wanted in terms of the rules. I imagine it’s partly because they both reached a certain level of financial stability and intellectual might in their adulthood. I have this theory that super strict parents are that way because they are not originally from high socioeconomic backgrounds. They need to be strict for a reason, and that reason may be that they need the money, and, in their mind, being strict and acting “good” (The Santa Claus upbringing) is the way to financial stability.

But being overly strict on your child can have potentially negative consequences. I’m not advocating for one method over another, I’m just saying that it really depends on the child. Some children can handle the strictness and it may be beneficial for them, but others will rebel because of the strictness. Furthermore, the rigid adherence to rules I think stifles creativity in many ways, which is something that is immensely valued in our contemporary western society.

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  1. There is God in the West – The Ivory Tower Avatar

    […] Perhaps the acceptance of God for future generations has to do with strictness of interpretation and not the teachings of the Bible itself. It could be that a generation prior were taking the scripture and its words too literally to the point where it became no longer practical for a modern child, say, to accept God. Thus, religion and its continued acceptance within contemporary society is really an issue of how strict the collective parental community is (See The super strict parent). […]

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