There’s no denying that a big part of a parent’s job is to influence their children’s choices and to prepare them for the future. What sort of parental influence in their child’s school life would be considered positive or negative?

Some parents influence their children by encouraging them to sign up for classes based on their interests, while other parents push their child toward one career field regardless of whether they are interested or not.

Junior Brianna Ventura is lucky enough to have parents who work to help her excell in her interests of choice.

“My parents encourage me to pursue whichever career I’m actually interested in and let me make those decisions for myself,” said Ventura.

Ventura doesn’t understand how some parents can push their kids toward certain majors or careers based on their desires, rather than their child’s.

“When it comes to parents who push their kids into taking classes for a career they’re not one-hundred percent sure about, I feel that it’s best to allow the student to figure out what they want to do with their own lives because everyone should have the right to make those kinds of choices for themselves,” said Ventura.

While it’s unhealthy for parents to monopolize their child’s interests, it is essential that parents encourage their child based on his/her interests.

“In some cases, it’s good for a parent to influence their child because then it could just be encouragement. If it becomes too controlling then that could lead to more bad than good,” said Ventura.

Sophomore Erin Sharp has parents who encourage her to do the things she wants to do.

“They’ve always encouraged me to do what I’m passionate about,” said Sharp. “They’ve never pushed me in a certain direction.”

Encouraging children is different from forcing them.

“If they’re pushing their kid— it’s good to suggest— but I don’t know about forcing their kid to do something. I think that parents should support their kid’s dreams,” said Sharp.

In terms of positive influence, Sharp believes that parents who influence their children to be successful will be more beneficial.

“I think parents that influence their child to succeed in life will have a more positive impact on their child and their future,” said Sharp. “No parent really wants to see their kid grow up and be unhappy and unsuccessful.”

Freshman Moises Kunze sees heavy parental influence in more of a positive light. He explains how parents who offer guidance to their kids in career choices will have a positive impact than those who don’t.

“It’s probably influential; it’s really inspiring. Some kids can’t even have parents who actually push them. So having the opportunity to have parents that push them— it’s kind of emotional too because it’s a state that some kids aren’t even in,” said Kunze.

Kunze believes that parents who aren’t actively involved in their child’s school life, have a negative impact on their child’s future.

“Parents who don’t even consider looking at the kid’s educational background. They don’t ask them how they’re doing, what they need for school. Parents who are not there for them,” Kunze said.

As someone who supports parents who actively participate in their children’s school life, I believe that parents need to know where to draw the line. Parents are mentors for their children and their words hold a lot of power; parents should always make sure their influence is beneficial to their child in all of the right aspects.

There are a variety of ways parents can influence and inspire their children. At the end of the day, each parent and student grow and develop in different ways and differing styles of parenting aren’t always indicative of positive or negative influence.