Whether parents should help children to do their homework or encourage them to do is by themselves has sparked widespread debate among many parents, educators and developmental psychologists in China. In most cases, I believe that in order for children to become confident and responsible adults in the future, parents should try their best to motivate their children to finish tasks without parental assistance. First, encouraging children to do their work independently helps children build self-confidence. For example, when I was a little boy, my parents worked late every night, and they would often encourage me to finish many tasks on my own. At first, I was worried because everything seemed difficult for a little boy. However, finally, I could cook dinner for my family, bathe my younger brother, and do the grocery shopping for my mother. Thanks to my childhood experience, I am a confident and optimistic young man, ready to take on new challenges in life. Obviously, parents should give their children every opportunity to develop self-confidence and never underestimate their children's potential. Second, the best way to teach children responsibility is to encourage them to finish tasks on their own. For example, my neighbor Helen always seizes every opportunity to encourage her son Ken, a five-year-old boy, to finish tasks alone. Therefore, Ken makes his own bed, cleans his own room, and most important of all, washes and walks the dog. In contrast, my friend Robert, an overprotective and indulgent parent, is always worried about his only son Leo, a ten-year-old boy. Whenever Leo tries to do something, Robert will give his son as much help as he can, so Leo has formed the habit of turning to his father no matter how easy the task is. Worse still, he gives up easily when he faces challenges or frustrations. ChildrenĄ¯s over-reliance on their parents has a detrimental effect on their psychological development. The best way to help children become responsible is to encourage children to do things without assistance from their parents. Admittedly, in some cases, parents should not hesitate to help their children do their work. In fact, when tasks are potentially dangerous, parents should give their children necessary assistance to ensure safety. For example, parents can teach their children cooking, but they should always show their children the right way to handle a knife and use a stove, rather than just allow their children to experiment and make disastrous mistakes, because some mistakes may inflict irreparable mental or physical harm on children. However, generally I believe that encouraging children to do their work independently is the best way to help them become confident, responsible adults in the future.