Children Making Their Own Everyday Choices

Some people believe that allowing children to make their own choices on everyday matters (such as food, clothes and entertainment) is likely to result in a society of individuals who only think about their own wishes. Other people believe that it is important for children to make decisions about matters that affect them. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Annotated response

3 correction notes

Showing 3 correction notes.

How much freedom a child should be granted on everyday matters is controversial. People who are against allowing boundless liberty to children believe it creates selfish individuals. Others, however, think freedom is necessary to nurture creativity, and it is essential for the upbringing of self-reliant individuals. I believe that parents should neither give to their children nor restrain them in every matter - there must be a balance.

On the one hand, permitting children to do whatever they want and letting them choose everything they like convinces youngsters that they can do whatever they like. It has a detrimental effect on the mental growth of children, and those children would likely become selfish adults in the future. Scientific research reveals that someone’s childhood experience has permanent effects on his or her personality and thinking pattern. This is why parents should make important decisions for their offspring and deter them from doing things that are harmful to their psychological and physical growth as well as to others.

On the other hand, many others express that if parents do not allow their children to pick certain things on their own and , the children could become fragile-minded and lack confidence. If children cannot choose things they like and do not have any freedom of choice, they end up being less creative than those who were given the freedom to make their own choices and decisions.

In my opinion, parents should let their children make some choices to let them become confident. But they should not be allowed to decide every single matter lest they take that privilege for granted.

To conclude, our society needs more creative and selfless people, freedom to our children, but there should be a boundary between this liberty and selfishness. The balance can bring the best possible results.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.0

The response's strongest aspect is its clear, balanced treatment of both views with a consistent personal position sustained throughout. The main limitation is that arguments tend to rely on generalised claims rather than concrete, well-developed examples, which keeps the discussion somewhat predictable.

IELTS criteria

How each score was decided

Task Response

7.0

The response addresses all parts of the task, discusses both views with relevant if generalised support, and presents a clear, consistent opinion throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion

7.0

Ideas are logically organised with clear paragraphing and a range of cohesive devices, though some linking is mechanical and a few transitions are slightly formulaic.

Lexical Resource

7.0

There is a sufficient range of vocabulary for flexible and precise expression, with some less common items such as 'detrimental effect' and 'fragile-minded', alongside occasional repetition of phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

7.0

A variety of complex structures is used with generally good control, and errors in areas like comma splices and article use are minor and rarely impede meaning.