STUDENT’S NAME WITHHELD BY REQUEST
English 9/Mr. Davis
Los Alamos High School

Editor’s note: This essay is one of a series of letters submitted for publication by Adam Davis’s students at Los Alamos High School.

Curfews are put in place to keep kids safe, and are very important. In this op-ed, I’ll show you why. Curfews are put in place so that parents know where you are, and another negative to not having a curfew, is that kids might stay up too late and have sleep deprivation. 

Having a curfew helps teens learn responsibility and time management, according to “helpyourteens.com/teen-curfews/” it states “learn to be responsible about their time and the places they visit and prepares them to shoulder more responsibility as they grow”. Having a good sense of time helps kids for when they are older, they have to be on time to work, college classes, dates, and giving kids a curfew helps them on that path to understanding time managment.

Curfews are also good for your mental health, according to “sedonasky.org/blog/teen~curfew~good~for~mental~health” it states “can help regulate sleep schedules by ensuring teenagers are at home during designated hours, allowing them to establish consistent and healthy sleep patterns”. It’s been proven that having a good sleep pattern, and getting enough sleep helps with, not only your mental health but also being productive throughout your day, and what can help with good sleep? Curfews.

Last, curfews are good for safety, when your parents know where you are, and when you get home, it gives them a peace of mind, knowing that you’re okay. According to “helpyourteens.com/teen-curfews/” it states “Although your teen may be a responsible person, it could be the behavior of other people that can be the concern”. This is saying that it doesn’t matter who your kid is, curfews are still good for safety and making sure your kid actually does make it home.

There are also bad reasons for having a curfew, one reason could be that it limits the time that they get to socialize. Socializing is a good thing, humans need it for our very survival, but there are many hours in the day that teens can do that, and with today’s technology it makes it easier than ever. When teens are out late socializing, they could be making bad decisions or getting themselves in trouble.

In conclusion, the pros outnumber and are more important than the cons, most teens don’t want a curfew, but it’s important to remember why they’re there. So parents can know where their kids are and give them peace of mind, help teens with time management, and also keep them safe, and help them with being mentally healthy.