Freedom to read

I am a stepmother of 4 teenage boys ages 15-19. The oldest 2 of the boys are by one mother and the youngest 2 by another. The oldest 2 boys have been kept from everything. The main thing they read growing up was the bible and was only allowed to watch Christian television. They weren’t allowed to have friends that didn’t attend church on a regular basis. The oldest boy got into a lot of trouble when he was 17 and dropped out of school and has a baby on the way and his brother is headed down the same path with bad grades and lying every time we turn around. The younger two boys have always been allowed to read and watch whatever they want. They both are in college classes in high school and are involved in several different clubs and are very active in the bad. They have both scored over 30 on the ACT and already have colleges sending them letters to visit. The boy’s mother and father told them right from wrong and they know they can ask questions and get a straight answer. So from my experience from the last 11 years of watching 2 completely different families grow in my home I think the freedom to read whatever they want is a wonderful idea. There is no reason to try to hide the world from kids because they are going to eventually have to see it for themselves so the parents might as well get them informed on what is going on. Sex is starting very early these days so kids should be aware of what to expect so they can make an “adult” decision because that is what sex is. I think parents that are keeping the bad from the kids are going to regret their decision in the end. Books help their mind to grow.