According to Reuter's, a recent survey reveals that most British parents believe childhood is now effectively over by the age of 11. Children are growing up too fast, they say, pointing to evidence indicating that parents now allow their children to pass certain milestones much earlier than past generations did. The survey in question, which was conducted by Random House Children's Books, found that parents increasingly allow their teens to stay out late, drink alcohol and sleep over with their opposite-sex friends, among other indicators. Some of the milestones mentioned by the survey do vary by culture, of course, and may not—on their own—be signs of accelerated child development. For instance, in some cultures a girl's ears may be pierced in infancy, and parents may allow their children to drink small amounts of wine within the family setting. However, the general point is certainly well-taken. In fact, as any Western mother with young daughters knows, it can sometimes be very difficult to find clothing even in grammar-school sizes that isn't trendy, revealing and much more mature in styling than that age group calls for. And if the Random House survey is accurate, it is certainly surprising that any parent would allow a teen daughter to have sleepovers with her boyfriend, but much more baffling that the practice could actually be called a trend. In this context perhaps it's interesting to note that while teen pregnancy rates in Britain may not be as staggering as in America, they are higher than elsewhere in Europe. Some might argue that the survey is misleading. After all, in some historical settings, children grew up faster than they do now, didn't they? It may not have been unusual for people to marry in their teens, or to carry the weight of greater responsibilities than might be typical today. Then again, maybe that's where the rub is. We give our children much more freedom but much less responsibility to go with it. Hence they don't have the corresponding maturity that should accompany that freedom. This begs the question: how can parents ensure their child's mental development is maturing at the same rate as his or her physical and behavioral development? Do we let peer pressure determine when our children are allowed to pass certain milestones? Or as parents do we maintain our own responsibility to guide and teach standards that will produce well-balanced children and a strong future society? | 
