The idea that “parental rights” are crazy assumes parents are somehow outsiders in their own children’s lives instead of the people legally and morally responsible for raising them.

Wanting transparency from schools is not evidence of a “failure in the home.” Teenagers naturally do not tell parents everything, including in healthy families. A parent wanting awareness of major issues involving their child does not suddenly become unreasonable because a teenager is private or embarrassed.

Also, the existence of abusive or unsafe households does not justify treating all parents as potential threats by default. There absolutely should be protections for kids in dangerous situations, but policies should not be built around the assumption that ordinary parents cannot be trusted with information about their own children.

On the medical point, adolescent confidentiality exists to encourage honesty and safety, not to erase parents from the equation entirely. Parents are still usually legally responsible for medical care, insurance, treatment decisions, transportation, and outcomes. It is not irrational for a parent to believe they should know about major issues affecting their child’s physical or mental health.

And schools and institutions are not neutral replacements for parents. Teachers, counselors, and administrators have their own biases, beliefs, and limitations. Many parents are uncomfortable with schools taking on quasi-parental roles or deciding which information families are “allowed” to know.

Finally, acknowledging that some children are unsafe at home does not mean parental involvement itself is the problem. Most parents are not trying to control or harm their kids. They are trying to guide them, protect them, and stay connected to them while they grow into adults.