text: Allan: I suspect that you know exactly what TorTech meant.
  
  Children are legally incompetent, in the sense that they are recognised to lack the necessary cognitive abilities to make many decisions for themselves.  They cannot enter into any type of contract until 18 (?), they cannot vote in an election until 18 and so on.  Yet, there are those who encourage children to make such a life-changing decision.  It is madness!