Some parents let their children do whatever they want and give them everything they ask for. What problems does this cause?
Stance: This essay will argue that overindulgent parenting, whether driven by guilt, convenience or good intentions, leaves children poorly equipped to handle disappointment and cooperate with others, creating problems that surface well into adulthood.
This 6.5 answer keeps the same two causes (compensation, convenience) and the same core problem (poor resilience and social skills), but develops each with a single short reason and a brief example, and uses plainer vocabulary than the 7.5 answer's 'swing to the opposite extreme' and 'disproportionate distress'.
More and more parents today let their children do whatever they want and give them everything they ask for, whether it is a new phone or permission to skip their homework. Although parents usually mean well, this way of raising children often causes serious problems for children's development.
One reason for this kind of parenting is that some parents want to give their children a better childhood than they had themselves. For example, a parent who grew up very poor or was treated too strictly may want to avoid making their own children feel the same way, so they give them everything instead. Other parents are simply too tired after work to say no and deal with their child's tantrum, so it feels easier to just agree. Some parents also believe, wrongly, that saying yes to everything will make their children happier and more confident.
This lack of boundaries causes real problems for children as they grow older. Children who always get what they want often do not learn how to deal with disappointment or share with others. I have seen this happen with a friend's son: because he always received a new toy whenever he complained, he found it very hard to share with other children when he started school. Later in life, these children can also struggle at school or work, where they cannot always get what they want and must learn to cooperate with others, which can hurt their relationships and their results.
In conclusion, overindulgent parenting usually comes from parents trying to compensate for their own childhood or simply wanting to avoid conflict. However, this way of raising children often leaves them poorly prepared to deal with disappointment and to work well with other people.
Collocations
Examiner Notes
- TR“Although parents usually mean well, this way of raising children often causes serious problems for children's development.” — States the essay's critical stance clearly, though more plainly than the 7.5 thesis.
- LR“lack of boundaries” — A correct, functional collocation, but more generic than 7.5's 'underdeveloped resilience and weak social skills'.
- GRA“because he always received a new toy whenever he complained, he found it very hard to share with other children when he started school” — Correctly combines a reason clause with a time clause, though the essay repeats this 'because...when...' pattern rather than varying its subordination.
- CC“Later in life, these children can also struggle at school or work” — The time phrase 'Later in life' and the pronoun 'these children' cohesively link the childhood example forward to adult consequences, functioning like a simpler version of the 7.5 answer's 'This mismatch' device.
- TR“this way of raising children often leaves them poorly prepared to deal with disappointment and to work well with other people.” — The conclusion clearly restates the critical stance without adding new nuance.
The 7.0 answer uses stronger, more idiomatic vocabulary ('opposite extreme', 'sense of entitlement') and links its ideas more fluently than 6.5, but each paragraph still rests on a single cause or a single anecdote rather than the fuller layering of multiple causes and a vivid concrete image that the 7.5 answer achieves.
A growing number of parents today allow their children almost complete freedom and give them everything they request, from the latest smartphone to permission to skip household chores. While this style of parenting is usually well-intentioned, it tends to create significant problems for children's long-term development.
One major cause of this parenting style is a desire to make up for the parent's own difficult or overly strict childhood. A parent who was raised in a very strict household, for instance, may go to the opposite extreme with their own children, believing that strictness is what caused their own unhappiness. Other parents simply find it easier, after a tiring day at work, to give in to a request than to enforce a rule and deal with the resulting tantrum. Many also genuinely believe that removing every obstacle will make their children more confident, without realising that this can create a sense of entitlement instead.
The lack of boundaries that results from this parenting style causes considerable problems as children grow up, particularly underdeveloped resilience and weak social skills. Children who are used to getting their own way rarely learn how to handle disappointment or negotiate with others, since they are rarely required to. I have seen this with the son of a family friend, who struggled noticeably when he started primary school and, for the first time, had to share attention with classmates rather than receive it constantly. This gap becomes even more serious later on, when such children enter Vietnam's competitive academic environment or workplace, where cooperation and resilience matter far more than getting one's own way.
In conclusion, the practice of giving children unlimited freedom and material comfort usually stems from parents' own compensatory instincts or a wish to avoid daily conflict. However, this approach ultimately leaves young people poorly equipped to handle the disappointments and social demands of adult life.
Collocations
Examiner Notes
- TR“While this style of parenting is usually well-intentioned, it tends to create significant problems for children's long-term development.” — A clear, appropriately hedged thesis, close in structure to the 7.5 version but slightly less precise in wording.
- LR“go to the opposite extreme” — A good idiomatic collocation, close to 7.5's 'swing to the opposite extreme' but marginally less vivid, and used only once rather than paired with other idiomatic phrases.
- CC“This gap becomes even more serious later on, when such children enter Vietnam's competitive academic environment or workplace” — The referencing phrase 'This gap' cohesively links the childhood anecdote to later-life consequences, mirroring the function of 7.5's 'This mismatch' but with slightly less precise wording.
- GRA“A parent who was raised in a very strict household, for instance, may go to the opposite extreme with their own children, believing that strictness is what caused their own unhappiness.” — Combines a relative clause with a participial phrase, showing solid grammatical range, though the layering is a notch simpler than the equivalent 7.5 sentence.
This 7.5 answer stands out for layering multiple distinct causes (compensation, convenience, misguided belief) within one paragraph and for its vivid concrete anecdote and image ('disproportionate distress', 'ill-equipped to cope with... the wider world'), supported by consistently controlled complex sentences.
A growing number of parents choose to grant their children almost unlimited freedom and satisfy every request they make, whether for the latest smartphone or simply permission to skip chores and homework. While this approach is often well-intentioned, it tends to create serious problems for children's long-term development.
One primary cause of this parenting style is a desire to compensate, whether for a parent's own strict or materially difficult childhood, or for the long hours many working parents now spend away from home. A father who grew up under a demanding, disciplinarian household himself, for instance, may swing to the opposite extreme with his own children, equating strictness with the very unhappiness he is determined to spare them. Others simply find it easier, after a long day at work, to say yes to a request than to hold a firm line and manage the resulting tantrum. Many parents also genuinely believe that by removing every obstacle and restriction, they are building their children's confidence and happiness, rather than inadvertently cultivating a sense of entitlement.
The problems arising from this lack of boundaries are considerable, showing up primarily as underdeveloped resilience and weak social skills. Children who are used to getting their own way rarely learn to tolerate frustration or negotiate compromise, since they have never truly had to face disappointment. I have seen this pattern among the children of family friends: one boy, accustomed to receiving a new toy after every mild complaint, struggled visibly when he started primary school and, for the first time, had to share attention and materials with classmates, reacting to minor setbacks with disproportionate distress. This mismatch becomes even sharper later on, when such children enter Vietnam's competitive academic environment or the workplace, where not every effort is rewarded and cooperation is essential; many find themselves unprepared for criticism, rejection or simply having to wait their turn, which can damage both friendships and academic performance.
In conclusion, the practice of granting children unlimited freedom and material comfort frequently stems from parents' own compensatory instincts or a desire to avoid daily conflict. However, this approach ultimately leaves young people ill-equipped to cope with the disappointments and social demands of the wider world.
Collocations
Examiner Notes
- TR“While this approach is often well-intentioned, it tends to create serious problems for children's long-term development.” — A concise thesis that acknowledges the parents' good intentions while clearly stating the essay's critical stance.
- LR“swing to the opposite extreme” — An idiomatic phrase that vividly captures an overcorrection in parenting style.
- GRA“A father who grew up under a demanding, disciplinarian household himself, for instance, may swing to the opposite extreme with his own children, equating strictness with the very unhappiness he is determined to spare them.” — A complex sentence with a defining relative clause and a participial phrase, controlling multiple layers of subordination fluently.
- CC“This mismatch becomes even sharper later on, when such children enter Vietnam's competitive academic environment or the workplace” — The referencing phrase "This mismatch" cohesively links back to the classroom anecdote before extending the argument forward in time.
- TR“this approach ultimately leaves young people ill-equipped to cope with the disappointments and social demands of the wider world.” — The closing sentence reasserts the essay's critical position with a memorable, concrete image of unpreparedness.