Allowing Children to Make Their Own Choices on Everyday Matters – IELTS Writing Task 2 Discussion Essay

The IELTS Writing Task 2 Discussion Essay, ‘Allowing Children to Make Their Own Choices on Everyday Matters’, requires you to delve into two conflicting opinions and provide your opinion. With this essay topic, you can also explore broader topics such as parenting styles, child development, education, and individual responsibility. By analyzing the two sample answers, you can easily understand how to showcase two opposing opinions, connect ideas logically, and keep a cohesive tone. To achieve a band 8+ in the IELTS Writing section, it is necessary for you to get familiar with different types of essays and their specific structure. With this knowledge, you can attempt writing the essays and then compare it with the sample answers to consistently note the areas of improvement.

What to Avoid in IELTS Writing Task 2 Discussion Essay ‘Allowing Children to Make Their Own Choices on Everyday Matters’?

In a discussion essay, you are required to present both sides to the issue coherently. This topic would help to explore whether parents should let their kids make their own decisions concerning day-to-day matters. However, as you attempt the IELTS Writing Task 2, you shouldn’t just focus on generating good ideas but also get familiar with the common mistakes which you need to avoid. The following are some of the errors which you need to be aware of so that you can avoid it while attempting to write on the essay topic ‘Allowing Children to Make Their Own Choices on Everyday Matters’.

Question - IELTS Writing Task 2 Discussion Essay ‘Allowing Children to Make Their Own Choices on Everyday Matters’

Structure Breakdown for the IELTS Writing Task 2 Discussion Essay ‘Allowing Children to Make Their Own Choices on Everyday Matters’

It is necessary to get the knowledge of a specific essay structure to make your points clear so that your ideas will flow easily where each paragraph will have its own purpose clearly defined. By separating the essay into an easy introduction, the main body paragraphs, and a conclusion, you will be able to make a well-planned argument to achieve a higher IELTS Band Score. In this way, you would be able to develop the main points steadily and write confidently within the 40-minute time frame. Let’s check out the structure breakdown below for the essay, ‘Allowing Children to Make Their Own Choices on Everyday Matters’, so that your Task Response, Coherence, and Lexical Resource will be improved.

Curious to know How to Write Body Paragraphs in IELTS Essay? Check out the video below!

Sample Answer 1 on ‘Allowing Children to Make Their Own Choices on Everyday Matters’

Freedom is always a matter of controversy as there is no particular rule or limit to it. Each person has their own definition of freedom. In a similar way, allowing young children to make their own decisions on basic matters has brought up different views from different groups of people. In this essay, different avenues on the given topic will be explored to help us decide on the amount of freedom children should be given without hampering their personality.

It is a common belief that to make one strong, one should be allowed to take their own decisions and fight their fears, even if they do not succeed in the end. In the same way, in the developing years of a child, he/she should be allowed to make decisions, even if they are minor ones, like clothes, food, entertainment. If their decision-making qualities are cultivated from an early age, they will become independent individuals when they grow up. But, some people think that the trait of individuality is synonymous with being selfish or caring less about other individuals. This is because they tend to generalize the concept that if one takes own decisions without taking others into consideration, it is selfishness. Being self-centered has nothing to do with making own decisions from a young age. They can be egotistical for different reasons like pampering, lack of guidance, dearth of awareness between right and wrong, among others. 

In some cases, young children tend to get used to making decisions on their own and get diverted in the process. For example, a child is allowed to eat junk food all the time and spend his time idling with friends. If he continues to do this on his own, after a certain time, his health might be affected, or he might end up with wrong ‘friends’. As they grow up, they are accustomed to the idea that as it is their life, all decisions should be theirs alone. This might make them impervious to the needs of others or their needs before others.

To conclude, I would like to say that the role of the parents or elders is extremely crucial in the development of decision-making and the amiable personality of an individual. If the child is not properly guided at home, he/she can become narrow-minded. So, it is the close relatives who can mentor the young generation to grow on their own and at the same time instill a sense of responsibility and help them understand the difference between right and wrong. It will not only help them in the long run but also create a better society for everyone.

Vocabulary for Sample Answer 1 on ‘Allowing Children to Make Their Own Choices on Everyday Matters’

• Hampering

Meaning - to prevent someone from doing something easily
Example – The heavy rain is hampering the crops. 

• Pampering

Meaning - to treat with too much kindness and attention
Example – Too much pampering by the parents made the only child selfish.

• Dearth

Meaning - an amount of something that is too small: a lack
Example – There was a dearth of food and water during the plague that struck the village.

• Amiable

Meaning - having or displaying a friendly and pleasant manner
Example – The nurse was an amiable person and so everyone loved her. 

• Instill

Meaning - to put a feeling, idea, or principle gradually into someone’s mind, so that it has a strong influence on the way
Example – We should instill values in our children from a young age. 

Sample Answer 2 on ‘Allowing Children to Make Their Own Choices on Everyday Matters’

The question of whether children should be given the freedom to make their own decisions even in the least matters is still being debated. While many are convinced that overindulgence might lead to a child being spoiled, others consider that the skill of decision-making is necessary to teach children from the very beginning. The argument will look into both the viewpoints which will be elaborated in the further paragraphs.

To begin with, many claim that letting children make the selections even on trivial matters such as food, clothes, or the kind of entertainment could negatively affect the kid. This is because if a kid is not being directed and they are always allowed to make decisions, they might have a severe hardship learning to give in or even notice other people's needs. Therefore, such kids may then end up being the kind of people who do not have a caring or supportive attitude due to the excessive liberty that their parents gave them.

In contrast, adherents to a child’s choice would claim that even kids being involved in the decisions that pertain to them is to train the character of the child. Through this process, kids will not only learn the assessment of alternatives but also gain the understanding of consequences while learning to take responsibility for their actions. Moreover, children are also less likely to be struggling with their emotions and issues of self-awareness if they are treated as being part of the decision-making process. Thus, it is necessary that children must communicate that their opinion matters.

I believe that children should have the option to choose for themselves but under the supervision of their parents or guardians within the clearly defined limits. This is predominantly because complete freedom may cause harm while very strict control may hinder the development of the individual. This method where parents offer support while giving children choices suitable for their age can turn out to be a win-win situation. As a result, the kids will learn to be responsible and become considerate members of society.

To conclude, even though complete freedom of choice can result in egocentric behaviour, the decision-making process under the supervision of an adult is a significant factor in a child's formative years. It can be said that the merging of freedom and supervision is the most practical way to nurture people who can think for themselves while also being respectful of others.

Vocabulary for Sample Answer 2 on ‘Allowing Children to Make Their Own Choices on Everyday Matters’

• Trivial

Meaning – Very little importance or significance
Example – The committee prioritized the main issue and dismissed trivial details.

• Liberty

Meaning – Being able to do anything freely
Example – Citizens appreciate the liberty to express their opinions fearlessly.

• Adherents

Meaning – Individuals who are strong supporters or followers of a belief, idea, or system.
Example – The theory has had a steady inflow of adherents through the years.

• Pertain

Meaning – To have relevance to something.
Example – The directions pertain only to the international applicants.

• Hinder

Meaning – To cause a delay, block, or make it hard to gain something.
Example – Insufficient money is one of the factors that can hinder public infrastructure development.

• Egocentric

Meaning – Self-centered
Example – An egocentric mindset may ruin professional relationships.

• Nurture

Meaning – To provide with care, support, and encouragement for growth or development.
Example – The role of schools is critical to nurturing the creative faculty of students.

Regular practice sessions on a variety of topics would help you to enhance your writing skills. This will guide you to score a band 8+ in the IELTS Exam while making sure that you understand the specific structure for each essay type. Critically analyze the sample answers so that you can get familiar with the structure, vocabulary, and also the idea generation process. So, continue to level up your preparation by practising with different topics.

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