In our society we are putting more and more demands on our young people. We expect them to act like adults, when the reality is, they're still children. How often have you caught yourself telling your young child to stop acting childish? When should we expect our children to act like adults? Childhood last for a very brief time. Considering that many people are living well into their 80s and 90s, childhood is but a small portion of our lifeline.

Think about when you learned a new job. You needed training, examples and time to understand how to perform your job. Children also need training, lots of good examples and opportunities to role play. This comes in the form of play, chores, school work and examples of family interaction to the outside world.

Children need support, adult supervision and direction. They need to interact with other children in their own age group. They need to explore their world, as only a child can do. A curious child will ask many questions. Be patient with them and try to answer those questions without getting too technical.

It is not usually a good idea to allow your younger teenagers to hang out with older teenagers or young adults. Sometimes the influence can be harmful to an impressionable young person. Be aware of who your teen's friends are. Sadly, in the world of today we have too many bad influences on our young people. Teen pregnancy is high in comparison to 20 or even 10 years ago. Consumption of alcohol is another sad statistic with teens. A growing issues is violence among young people. These are all issues that parents need to be informed about and to be aware of when raising teenagers. These are the very problems that rob our young people of their childhood.

As adults, we have often made the comment that we wish we had half the energy that our young children do. Children have limits too. Too many parents expect too much of their children. They get them involved in many activities trying to find what they are best at or to just keep them busy. Of course some try to relive their own childhood through their kids(or maybe they are trying to live the childhood they never had). Allow your children to pick what they want to do. Don't push them so hard. If they chose an activity, make them aware that they need to make a commitment, but, don't make it so difficult on them that they can't get out of it. Sometimes, certain activities are not suited for all children. Know your child's limitations and respect them when they tell you that they're not interested in that particular activity. Let them grow up at their own pace. Most children will be just fine.

We all have expectations for our children. Some are based on getting good grades, so they can get into the right college and get a good paying job. Some are as simple as choosing the right friends or just to be a good person. Remember that your child is unique. They are not you or your spouse. Even though they may remind you of things you did when you were young. They eventually form their own opinions and have their own interest. Sometimes these are very different from yours. Let them become who they were meant to be. Allow them to be children. With proper guidance and good examples, your child will grow into the person you expect.