Do Kids Really Need Privacy?

So, this question from the Hive Learners Table , for this edition. *Do kids need privacy? For how long should parents keep the open-door policy, and when do you start allowing them their private lives without being too invasive?* The honest truth is that I had to pause for a while before I could gather my thoughts on this, because this one really touched me as a mom, and you know me, once something is on my mind, I just want to take it out whichever way.  For me I think I will say this straight, see kids do not really need privacy until they are very grown enough to handle what comes with it like when I say grown, I mean around 20 years old, I know some people might raise eyebrows at that, but let me explain where I am coming from. You know as they are children, they are still learning about the world and they are still trying to figure out what is right and also what is wrong, and as parents, it is our duty to guide them, and not to stand back and pretend that they have got it all figured out themselves, you know that' Leaving them with “privacy” is just too early sometimes opens doors they are not ready to handle, now you think about it, you know privacy means freedom, and freedom without wisdom is like giving a small toddler a box of matches and you Know it can turn dangerous quickly. That is why I believe the open door policy should stay in place as long as they are still in those days their growing years, not because we want to control them, but because we want to make sure that they are safe , see for example, my own kids are still young, and I can not imagine saying that *okay, you have your own private life, I won’t check in anymore.* It just doesn't make sense, that is just not realistic in any way, they do need me to be present and involved, even if sometimes it feels like I am in their space, in fact there is nothing like that. Now, this does not mean kids shouldn’t be respected, privacy and respect are not the same thing Una my way at all, I might not agree to full blown privacy for my kids yet, but I still believe in showing them that I value their feelings and their little spaces, for instance, I practice knocking before entering their room, even though I am their mom and technically I can enter anytime, I knock to let them know that I respect their space, it is not really about the knock itself, but about teaching them boundaries and courtesy , I want them to grow up understanding that same respect too. Another thing I will say is that we know that's kids just don’t just magically become adults one day and suddenly know how to manage their private lives, nah..... they learn it gradually from how we treat them, So, while I am not rushing to give them full independence, I am also not holding on so tight that they feel as if they suffocated, we know that there is a balance, I check in and guide them, I ask questions, and yes, sometimes I even peep into things they might want to hide, but all of that is because I want to protect them, not because I want to control them, and also they are still very young for any kind of privacy at all, the only thing is one does this things to make know understand how life is in general , so they know what they should and not do. When they hit that age where they are more mature, maybe late teens or early 20s, then I believe proper privacy can come in, see at that stage, they can handle decisions better, they have seen more of life, they can understand consequences, and they can balance freedom with responsibility, before then, I think it is just too risky, kids are too easily influenced these days, with social media and everything around them, and shutting parents out in the name of “privacy” doesn’t just help anyone. At the end of the day every parent knows their child best, but for me, I will keep guiding mine closely until I am sure they are ready to handle that independence on their own, privacy will come, but not too early at all, Until then I will still keep a close eye on them. So yeah, this is just my honest take in this topic, Kids do not need full privacy yet, they need guidance, respect, and a lot of love, the rest will come when they are ready. _{*Image is Mine*}