Peace of Mind

Creating a curfew for minors would give parents such a peace of mind, knowing that their child, or children, are somewhere safe instead of roaming the city so late at night. In many cases, families will make a specific curfew for their children that is understood when the teenager heads out for the night. However, with that comes leeway. Most parents want their children to have fun with their friends, which often results in a conversation that may go something like this: “But mom, why can’t I stay out until 1a.m. instead? I’ll be back by 1:30, tops!” “Okay, sweetheart, I guess so. Just be careful.” And almost every time, the only thing that the teenager hears is that they can stay out later. The “be careful” part is generally ignored. I myself, am not a parent, but I know that my parents are constantly worried about me and that I am somewhere safe when it gets late. When I was in high school, I always had a curfew of 11:30p.m., which made my parents feel more comfortable that they didn’t have to worry that I would be coming home at an un-godly hour. I spoke with my father, Steve Farris, who is also a high school teacher, and asked him what his thoughts were on a city-wide curfew for teenagers. Mr. Farris states, “I think that a city wide curfew is generally speaking, a good thing. I believe it will cut down on crime, and late night car wrecks. But at the same time, I think a city wide curfew negatively impacts good kids who are responsible and safe.” As a father, he later commented, “My heart would feel more at rest, knowing that other kids have a curfew too, because it’s not that I don’t trust my own children, it’s that I don’t trust other people.” Many parents feel the exact same way when it comes to the uncertainty of the other minors that are gallivanting around with their own teen. This city-wide curfew would give all parents of teens  peace of mind to know that there are other adults, including police officers that are watching out and making sure that minors are in by a reasonable time, safe and sound.