do you think 15 yr olds have the right to, decide which parent to go with after a divorce? Options

[ecargnmyst]

this question was asked in my gov class today.. should 15 yr olds be allowed to make the decision themselves? or are they not able/mature enough to make such an important decision themselves?

[radhikaeatsraman]

I think 15 year-olds are very much mature enough to make the decision themselves. A 3 or 4 year-old may be a different story, however. If the 15 year-old is a fully-functioning, able person who doesn't have any severe mental disabilities, I think they should make a wise decision.

[illumineering]

Absolutely. In the foster care system, that is the age when a person can make decisions regarding placement.

[*I Shot JFK*]

It is very difficult to set a broad age limit for an issue that deals with emotional maturity, especially during the early teenage years, when there are radical differences in emotional maturity between individuals.

i think that the child should msot definately be consulted, but the impact of their judgement on the overall decision should be considered by the judge on an indivdual basis, based on interviews with the child, and the circumstances of the divorce and the potential gaurdians

[*disco infiltrator*]

^ I second that sentiment.

I'm sure I'm fully capable of choosing which of my parents I would rather live with (it would be my mom, who I live with now), and I'm fifteen, but I know some other fifteen year olds...who might not be so clear on such a decision.

[flc]

Definitely..there are a lot of things fifteen year olds start to be responsible for, like a job, getting a permit. Hopefully by that time they'd know both of their parents long enough to make a decision on who'd they want to live with..

[*swtcherriipie*]

To be honest with you... I dont think 15 year olds should be ABLE to make SERIOUS desicions like marrige or voting or anything like that i mean if thats going to happen then whats the purpose of parents right? Or whats the point of being "LEGAL AGED" (18-21).. just a thought.

[flc]

To be honest with you... I dont think 15 year olds should be ABLE to make SERIOUS desicions like marrige or voting or anything like that i mean if thats going to happen then whats the purpose of parents right? Or whats the point of being "LEGAL AGED" (18-21).. just a thought.

Well by the time you're 18 you're technically an adult {Right? I think so. x.x} so you wouldn't have to decide who to stay with. When you're 15 you're still a minor, so whether you like it or not, you're going to have to live with someone.

[scenekidsgo__raw...]

I definately think so.
I mean, if they've lived with their parents all their lives, they can easily think about which one treats them the best ir has less problems with, or however they would determine it.

[*I Shot JFK*]

To be honest with you... I dont think 15 year olds should be ABLE to make SERIOUS desicions like marrige or voting or anything like that i mean if thats going to happen then whats the purpose of parents right? Or whats the point of being "LEGAL AGED" (18-21).. just a thought.

well, again, it comes back to the differences between individuals in their emotional maturity. at 15, i was politically aware. actually probably more so than my parents, and many other older teenagers who i knew. i would have been perfectly capable of voting. but then others wouldn't have been

to say '15 year olds are incapable of making serious decisions' is an insult to those of us who were/are, which is why it should, for this dilemna, be considered on an indivdual basis

[AngelinaTaylor]

Of course.. they may be not mature enough to vote, but choosing which parent to live with? I think so. They DO know which parent they'd like living with more, right?

Taylor``

[Paradox of Life]

Where did the 15-year-old cutoff come from?

[*I Shot JFK*]

Of course.. they may be not mature enough to vote, but choosing which parent to live with? I think so. They DO know which parent they'd like living with more, right?

Taylor``

well perhaps its more than just a question of which parent they would LIKE living with most.

[AngelinaTaylor]

well perhaps its more than just a question of which parent they would LIKE living with most.

Haha, of course.. it's also a matter of who would take better care of the child, who is more secure financially, etc. However, I still think most 15 year-olds would be able to make that kind of a decision.

Trust me.. I almost never stick up for teenagers.. ;)

Taylor``

[moorepocket]

i think they should, but most of them will stay with their mother. But some will stay with their dads, cuz they hate their moms or vice versa.

[*I Shot JFK*]

i think they should, but most of them will stay with their mother. But some will stay with their dads, cuz they hate their moms or vice versa.

not necessarily... i certainly dont hate my mother, at all, but would probably, if pushed, choose to live with my dad.

Haha, of course.. it's also a matter of who would take better care of the child, who is more secure financially, etc. However, I still think most 15 year-olds would be able to make that kind of a decision.

i agree, but the key word is most, not all. which is why it should be case by case

[demolished]

Yeah.

We want parents that benefit us, making us special, and trustworthy.

well, not all parents are very trustworthy ... but enough to rely some trust on our parents.

it's our RIGHT to pick our parents for many different reasons.

If i was put in my dad's side, i would be so pissed off because he always distract me from doing a major project unlike my awesome mom. If he's going to distract me, at least support me to get a good grades.

f**k legal age rights. =]

How am i going to do well in school or graduate?

[voguelove]

i think yes. 15 is almost 16 (which is the age that most kids can get cars) and 16 is almost 18 (adulthood) 15 year olds know what theyre doing. they know which parent they perfer and which parent to go to. it shouldnt be the parents or the govt decision

[*I Shot JFK*]

i think yes. 15 is almost 16 (which is the age that most kids can get cars) and 16 is almost 18 (adulthood) 15 year olds know what theyre doing. they know which parent they perfer and which parent to go to. it shouldnt be the parents or the govt decision

well thats kind of a silyl argument... 14 is almost 15

13 is almost 14

10 is almost 13, etc.... wher do you stop.

a fized age limit is not the answer

[julianaaa]

15 year olds should definately be able to decide for themselves. they've lived their whole lives with their parents, and they should be able to have a good idea about who they'd rather live with. the gov't dont know anything about the family except for what has been put infront of them.

[moorepocket]

not necessarily... i certainly dont hate my mother, at all, but would probably, if pushed, choose to live with my dad.
i agree, but the key word is most, not all. which is why it should be case by case

i mean in some cases, where the child hate the mother or father, then they would live with the one they most likely to get along with.

[Crich323]

That really is a hard question.

But that 15 year old might not be able to handle all of the pressure that both parents are putting on him/her. I mean what if the father could offer all the money and the mother could just offer her being there ? There are so many different scenerios it depends. The events that lead to the divorce should also play a part, and the maturity of the 15 year old.

[*StanleyThePanda*]

Haha, of course.. it's also a matter of who would take better care of the child, who is more secure financially, etc. However, I still think most 15 year-olds would be able to make that kind of a decision.

Agreed, not all 15 year-olds are, but most are probably mature enough to make a good decision about that, So I say yes.

[*I Shot JFK*]

i mean in some cases, where the child hate the mother or father, then they would live with the one they most likely to get along with.

oh. well obviouly.

bu tthat wasnt what you said

[Smoogrish]

Yes. The kid knows which one they want to go with by now, so why not let them? They know which parent treats them better, and so they should go with the parent they think is right. They're definitely mature enough.