OPINION: Having someone to look up to benefits children and teens

PHOTO: Senior Hannah Hong and her sister take day trips to spend quality time together. 

By Colette Quaas,

BluedevilHUB.com Staff–

From a young age, children find someone to look up to. Whether that is a parent or a person the child has never met, there are advantages and disadvantages to both.
Younger children, typically up to ages 8 to 10, tend to idolize their parents. Young children want to spend more time with their parents. They want to go to the store with their parents, play games with them, and go on car rides with them.
As children grow into teens, they begin valuing other qualities. They want to be independent, spend more time with their friends and less time with their parents.
Sophomore Sabrina Hazel’s idol is her mom. Hazel wants to follow in her mother´s footsteps and go to medical school.
“I don’t idolize someone famous or that I don´t know because I don´t know them like I know my mom. I know all the challenges she faces and all the real and amazing things about her,” Hazel said.
Popular culture is based on superficial features and wealth and does not focus on life skills and values. For this reason, looking up to people in one’s life is necessary.
Hazel applauds the support and courage she gets from her mom every day.
“She’s the hardest working person I’ve ever met. She works around the clock as both a doctor and a mom,” said Hazel.
Senior Hannah Hong feels differently. Her idol is her sister.
“My idol is my older sister because she helps me through everyday life like school and my personal life. She has 12 years on me so her life experience helps me a lot,” said Hong.
Hong chose her sister over her parents because she has a closer bond with her because of the age difference.
“I relate to her more because she speaks English more fluently and she’s a lot closer to me in age so it is easier for me to talk to her about my personal life. She also checks in on me like three times a week and it makes me feel important,” said Hong.
However, Hong knows it is easy to get caught up comparing herself to her sister.
“She was a really good student in high school and studied quite a lot so I try to do that as well … She went to a really good college and did a lot of cool stuff so I try not to get wrapped into comparing myself to her,” Hong said.
There is no right or wrong answer as to who teens should idolize. Everyone has different traits and qualities that they admire and different relationships with their parents.
Having a positive role in a student’s life helps them learn positive character traits, learn to overcome obstacles, and become their best selves.