We spend the first 20+ years of a person's life treating th…

I couldn't agree more. It was hard to be an adult, the turn, but we need to break ranks into individual lives and then discover our values, not pamper them with society fallbacks (both private and government) making them offended or hurt for anything.

So true. Being the only child in my own family I've struggled a lot with this. I think you should treat children like normal human beings. I will be strict with my own kids when I have them. Give them responsibility and help them become independent.

I think age 13 is when a child becomes a young adult. Leading up to agree 13 is when you teach the kid to take on the responsibilities of adulthood, then by the time they graduate high school, they'll be well practiced adults.

Gah. Autocorrect strikes again.

Yes. It was around this age when in old tribes and traditions it would be custom for kids to undergo some kind of ritual that symbolizes their growing up into adulthood. It makes sense because that's also when they start viewing themselves as adults.

Prolonged adolescence is the biggest problem in the world today.

Parents need to teach their children to survive without them, as well as letting them be kids.

Just like you take both Math and Science children need both in order to survive and thrive.

The fact is, if you're old enough to get pregnant/get a girl pregnant, you're old enough to take on the responsibilities of adulthood.

That obviously doesn't mean to live on your own or whatever, but that you fall under certain expectations of adulthood.

And yes, I agree, childhood is insanely important. Play, imagination, "Why?" every 10 seconds, and being completely cared for by the adults is an important part of human life.

But it must end, and the little human must become a big human.