Okay....but....isn't the job of a parent to...push their kid in (their perception of) the right direction?

That's the amazing thing of the world. Sure theres a million ways you can go, good and bad. If theres no one to help you make these decisions when your young then you're probably going to end up with a life that's filled with problems. There is statistical evidence of this.

That being said, I grew up with older parents that knew by then that the best way to learn was to make mistakes, but they didnt ever let me go too overboard. I couldn't imagine a world where you let the kid pick their name, gender, dietary plan or even their religion. A parent is a mentor, because naturally that's what kids need.