I think kids are best prepared for adulthood if we take the time to explain as much as we can when they are little. You're right, adulthood provides such challenges that having experience with reasoning can only enhance the child's preparedness for it and cannot hinder it. Too many times I've seen firefighters do dangerous things on orders they felt compelled to follow without question, only to be told that they could have put their hand up to be counted and not been in a burn over situation to begin with. Following instructions is not a priority for us in our home - it's understanding what we want from each other and finding a happy medium that is.