Safety Of Numbers By Lucy Tan Essay

Having few opportunities for independence can lead to a lack of self-esteem. Raising your children with little opportunity for independence may result in low self-worth and poor self-direction. In the short story “Safety of Numbers” by Lucy Tan, a strict mom is constantly drilling and pressuring her child to be the best academically. While her mom may have good intentions, there is never an opportunity for her child to make mistakes and learn from them. In the poem “For Julia, In the Deep Water” by John N. Morris, the dad, has a difficult time watching his little girl struggling to learn how to swim but he is proud to see her try to overcome challenges. Lastly in the short film “Bao”, a mother is in denial of her child’s growing independence. Although many parents are cautious of a child’s quest for independence, setting strict limits on a child’s independence may unintentionally risk their development into functioning adults.

The mom is rarely allowing her to go out and be with friends. She is afraid her daughter will make careless decisions resulting in harm. By mom being too strict on what her daughter is allowed to do she is never given the chance to learn from her own mistakes. It is normal to make mistakes but one gets the opportunity to learn from their mistakes. Parents are not always going to be there for their child so it is essential for children to learn how to persevere through challenges on their own in order to become successful adults. Also by being overprotective and strict parents may inadvertently create communication barriers as their child may be scared of their parents’ reaction to issues that don’t align with their parents’ values. Although hard at times, parents should do thei best to balance opportunities for independence with an appropriate amount of