It seems like today's children go through so much. From bullying to divorce, today's kids are under a lot of stress. One of the toughest things for any child is seeing their parent(s) locked up. It's said that the family serves time with their offender because of missed milestones like graduation, kids' athletic events, etc. No child should have to experience a parent or loved one incarcerated; that must be hard on that child because (s)he looks up to them. That brings me to this question: Should children see their parent(s) in jail? I say yes, and let me explain why: Regardless of what that parent did(n't) do, that's still the child's father or mother. I believe seeing a parent in jail serves as a reminder of what happens if you make the wrong choices; you end up behind bars just like your loved one. You have some people who say "You want to see your kids, stay out of prison. I understand both points because some children are impressionable, and if they see mom or dad locked up, they get locked up so they can be like their mother and/or father.
This was stated so eloquently by Denise Stay Positive:
Why do we try to shield our children from the choices we made? If we decided to have children with an ex con -- male or female -- why shield them from that part of their life??? Parenting means we explain circumstances to them and position them in a way that those behaviors aren't repeated with them. It's just life and children need to know about real life. Mystery, suspense and hiding reality only makes children bitter.
In other words, seeing a parent behind bars is a learning tool because there are consequences, good or bad for the choices we make in life.
