COUNSELING AND CONSULTATION ASSOCIATES, INC.COUNSELING AND CONSULTATION ASSOCIATES, INC.
Phillip L. Blansett, Ph.D.
1621 Eagle Trace Drive
Mount Juliet, Tennessee 37122-7428
(615) 758-7568
Website: http://DrBlansett.com
Email: DrBlansett@DrBlansett.com
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Neighbors Helping Neighbors in Parenting
by
Phillip L. Blansett, Ph.D.
There is an excellent article entitled Parental Rights appearing soon in the national magazine Paradigm. I say it is an excellent article because that certainly was my desire when I wrote it. There has been much said concerning the rights of children, and the rights of school administrators. There needs to be some clearing of the air regarding what are parental rights, and what really aren't rights at all, even though people might think otherwise. The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, 710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN has published a document called "Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Minor". This is a definitive governmental publication that discusses the rights AND responsibilities of minor children in Tennessee. Covering subjects such as School, Juvenile Justice, Health, Working, and Mental Health. It discloses the various ages a minor child must reach in order to be eligible for various services or privileges. For instance, a child may obtain a driver's license upon reaching his 16th birthday IF a parent or guardian agrees and signs the application. If the parents choose to delay signing, the child can't receive a license until reaching his 18th birthday. This article began writing about Parental Rights and journeyed momentarily into Minor Rights. They are, obviously, interlinked. Here, quoted for your information, is one of the most unpopular statements in the publication. The underlining, bold and italics are added for emphasis. "As a minor you have the right to be supported and protected by your parents. This means that they must give you necessary food, shelter, clothes, education, and medical care. Your parents can choose your friends, clothes, and religion. They can also give you jobs to do around the house and tell you what time you must be home. Your parents must give their permission for you to get a driver's license, get married, and receive some types of medical treatment. If you refuse to obey the reasonable rules your parents have made or if you run away from home or refuse to go to school, you can be taken to juvenile court." During the recent debates about the Wilson County School Dress Code there have been a lot of well intended but incorrect statements regarding a child's "right" to choose his own clothing styles. That responsibility is the parents', and can be delegated by the parents to others who have authority over their children. You choose those delegates through the American Voting system by registering as a voter, and by casting your vote when the time comes. Our country has reached an historic low in voter turn out. The remedy to elected agencies that do not reflect our values is to make changes through the voting process. Our country is the best in the world. Our system of voting is outstanding, and reflects the values in our community of those who bothered to register and vote. Sometimes our civic lessons, not learned in school, must be learned as parents.
Next week we'll continue to examine how neighbors can help neighbors in parenting.
Dr. Phillip Blansett is a psychotherapist in private practice in Nashville and West Wilson County.
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