Do You Approve of Government Regulating Your (Or Anybody Elses) Ability to Parent as You See Fit?

Question by G A: Do you approve of government regulating your (or anybody elses) ability to parent as you see fit?
This is a broad based question with many potential avenues of exploration. Obvious choices include, but are not limited to: spanking, smoking/alcohol/drugs in the house, vaccinations, among many others. Choose to address one or more of these or any other specific parenting choices/techniques which you are fond of discussing.

Personally, I feel that barring any situation of clear and outright physical and/or emotional abuse, parents should be able to parent in whatever way they deem necessary without interference from communities or governments attempting to regulate their parenting style and choices. After all, if a parent can’t parent the way they feel necessary, should a child learn to survive without any such guidance? The devil is, of course, in the details, and I think different people will also have different opinions of exactly what “abuse” is.

Best answer goes to the person with the most well-thought-out answer.
Isabeau, the issue of vaccination is one which is clear cut to me on the merits alone. “Just do it.” I don’t think the government should have to regulate that kind of thing. Parents should be smart enough to know the dangers of not doing so, both for themselves, for their own children, and for the world. Viruses don’t stay in one place. The danger of so-called “super bugs” is very real, and they are created because of a failure of people to properly vaccinate and/or properly take medications, particularly antibiotics, as prescribed for the duration of the prescription. Many formerly easily-treatable diseases are now virtually impossible to treat because of either a failure or reluctance of parents to properly vaccinate their children. The government shouldn’t have to mandate vaccines. I’m glad to hear you are going to vaccinate your child, but while you may be immune, your child is not immune from you, and you are likely to be a carrier.

Best answer:

Answer by Saysay
Parents need to be the ones to teach kids. You will NEVER have any more respect for a teacher or any other person unless you have a decent amount of respect for your parents.

I can understand the need to intervene when the parent neglects the kid. But Parents who are trying to raise their kids to be good people should be given the opportunity to raise them that way.

What do you think? Answer below!