Do you think it is a good ide to teach your children to question authority.....?

Question

and not to take the information they give you without any thought of their own?

I tell my kids to question their teachers, their pastor, their elders, even their parents if what is being taught or told to them somehow sounds wrong or incorrect. They are also taught that if the questioning is done in a respectful manner that no matter if I agree with their stance or not I WILL back them up and stand next to them, not in front of them chiding them like a small puppy that just peed on mommies favorite pair of pants.

I also teach them that without rebellion there will NOT be change, and that looking around it is pretty obvious that things do need to change, everywhere.

My mom says I am raising hooligans, I say I am raising smart kids who know how to think for themselves and who have a firm foundation under their feet, made of support and love, regardless of differing opinions.

Answer 1

Yes but as long as it is does in the right manner. It sounds like you are teaching your kids to think for themselves, engage in critical thinking. I think that's a great thing. As long as the kids are respectful and are tactful, I don't see a problem. You are right. I completely agree with you. Kids need to be taught to think for themselves and to ask questions if something doesn't make sense or seem quite right.

Answer 2

I agree with you on questioning authority. I don't think things like age, or a money bought title("doctor", "teacher", ect.) mean to automatically jump on thinking they are right. They are human, and can be wrong, and are wrong sometimes. I have the same feelings towards the word "respect"...respecting all people. Well I don't see what is so respectable about a crackhead that sells her body...so "respect all people"...is a theory that is a little blown in my book.

Answer 3

Yes, I DO think it is a good idea to do this.  Many people will try to take advantage of others just because of their position...and it is GOOD to think about things verses taking everything as gospel.

I congratulate you on thinking outside of the box.  Not everyone is out to protect you.

Answer 4

That's an excellent idea. Blindly following authority figures is NOT the way to go about your life.

Answer 5

Good job your awesome.

Answer 6

Your way is very refreshing - thank you. The only sad thing is that every child should be brought up in this healthy way, but instead they are taught to obey and follow foolish traditional ways, which are sterile and to some extent hysterical now a days. If children are allowed to question what is "politically correct" and follow their own feelings, only then things will change to the better. Adults are afraid to question status quo and preventing children to do it just reinforces what is going on in this unhealthy society.

Answer 7

There is a time to each your kids to think on their own and stand on their own beliefs.

They call it becoming an adult.

Teaching them to do it as children is teaching them to be disrespectful.

So, when they are 25 and can't hold a job, have no education because that are constantly being throw out of college due to questioning some instructors weird ideas, are you going to support them then?

It is much harder to teach a child to keep their opinions to themselves and pick their battles when faced with stupidity.

I think all you are doing is setting them up for trouble just so you can do something that you think makes you look good.

Try something REALLY hard, try to teach them to think for themselves AND know when to keep their mouth shut vs when to state their opinions

Answer 8

I agree with what you teach! (:

Answer 9

I have daughters.. so YES. They definitely know to question authority if they aren't being treated right. I have taught them to stand up for themselves- always. I won't be around forever to do it. I fear that parents who *control* their kids (daughters especially) are setting them up to be a passive and more terrifying, possibly in abusive relationships and friendships - for fear of disagreeing.

Questioning authority is NOT disrespectful. Being rude and inconsiderate IS. They can stand up themselves without being disrespectful.

No- you're not raising hooligans. You're raising smart, self thinking leaders.

Answer 10

You sound really selfish when you say you WILL back up and stand next to your children no matter whether you agree with their stance or not.  That is, no matter whether their view is right or not.  

YOU like to annoy other adults, dont you.  Do it on your own, don't U-S-E your kids.  This is the ultimate child abuse.

Answer 11

I definitely agree with you. Even Thomas Jefferson said that the occasional rebellion is good for society.

Teaching kids to question authority teaches them to question basically everything, which leads to an increase in creative thinking, and the ability to think rationally about everything they are taught, regardless of the subject or the weight of the supposed authority.

Teaching people NOT to question turns them into mindless, conformist, authoritarian drones. They'll believe anything you tell them to... and then have no idea how to formulate an opinion that someone else didn't give them. Or worse, they'll formulate YOUR opinion and only think it was their own, never realizing they don't really know how to think.

Mind you, it's not easy being a questioner of authority. You're often an outcast. I'll be honest, you do your kids no favors, socially, teaching them this way. But if you would rather that they be free than social, by all means, carry on. It's a trade that I made young - consciously - and have never regretted.

Answer 12

Sorry, but right now the children may not seem to be as you say .... hooligans...but trust me...they will become that way. The children will one day not be able to handle a job..can you imagine someone going to a boss and question his authority?  Your children will also become obnoxious, unruly, opinionated...and argumentative among a few behaviors that will rear their ugly head. You are teaching the children to be rebellious of authority. You are teaching the children that change does not come with leadership skills and knowledge of the cause, but with rallys that could cause deaths and destruction.....You are  teaching the children that Drs. and scholars and teachers and pastors have gone to college yet their degrees mean nothing...the years that they have put in to learn their profession is for nothing. You are teaching your children to one day disrespect you and walk all over you....Argue this.....In the bible the wise man built his house upon the rock....the foolish man built his house upon the sand.... the rains came and the foolish mans house came tumblin down.......................................

Answer 13

What you are telling them is fine, but how do you handle an emergency?  You need them to act quickly and unquestionably or there may be serious consequences (rushing down the stairs for a storm, not eating something that could make them sick).  

I personally wouldn't be able to stand it.  I think it is better to set aside time to disagree about something.

Answer 14

lol... theyll become presidents or democrats one of these days

Answer 15

i think that sounds write. kids should question things that sound wrong. who wants their kid to be a blind follower?

Answer 16

That's so cool that you do that, it teaches them so much! =] My parents did that with me and my moms side of the family thinks I'm a terrible person because I have an opinion. I'm 18 years old and they hate me because of the way my parents raised me. I plan on raising my children the same way, you sound like such a cool mom! I wouldn't listen to what other people say.