It's time for Questions!

As we grow older, it becomes so much easier for us to realize the challenges and the tremendous responsibility of parenting. Nobody is born a parent just like no body is born literate. And that is why nobody can stress enough the importance of learning and asking questions. So this to my real question:

Is it more beneficial in a man's life to be taught the SHORTEST way of achieving perfection or is it more to let a man figure out the way himself?

Some, even I, might argue for the latter for we believe that experience is part of learning and believe that poster "it is not the destination, it is the journey" on the door of my homestay home actually meant something. But there would be times when I feel that I wish my children won't have to go through the mistakes I went through to get to the same point everyone eventually gets to. A parent would probably wish his/her children can live as comfortable and fun a life as possible and that any preventative mistakes and wrongdoings shall be omitted through parenting. But is that necessarily true? Do we and CAN WE really help our kids by teaching them OUR ways of doing things? What if some day a situation comes along that we dont' even know how to manage? NOt to imagine the responses of our kids.

But what if nothing exotic comes along or what if the kids become astray as you let him/her try their ways of dealing with their worlds? What if they get caught in the wilderness and you still want them to try to deal everything their way? What if nothing of this sort contribute to efficiency of achieving goals and successes in life?

Parenting IS a lot of responsibility and this is my first time that I truly earnestly and severely consider the graveness of it all. Keep asking questions. Whatever happens that will be the one thing that will not change in my life. And certainly in my kids'. =)