In high school you can’t be free. You can’t do whatever you want. You can’t ignore other people’s wishes completely, specifically your parent’s wishes. Your parents aren’t ready for that. What would they do if suddenly you didn’t need their input? If you were totally independent? If you became a self-sustaining being where would their brainwaves have to redirect? These are questions better left unanswered.
Play along. It makes life so much easier. If you keep your parents satisfied, you are much more likely to get what you want. The key is to be diplomatic...always. That requires some self control. Screaming tantrums don’t generally melt anyone’s heart. But if you are the sweet child they sorely missed when adolescence came knocking...the possibilities are boundless. Play to your strengths. And work on your weaknesses. Take the list of their complaints out of the trash and look at it. I suggest doing the easiest thing on the list first. Just for a bit. They will notice. And if they don’t, casually mention the improvements you’ve been making. Keep up this behavior for some time. Then, sit back and watch the wonders that will ensue. When they start seeing even their smallest desires being fulfilled, their feeling of importance rises exponentially. That’s the key to maintaining successful relationships with your parents: make them feel needed and important. Good communication and a respectful tone will help you in these endeavors.
Of course, there are some issues on which you will not be able to reach an accord. My suggestion here is this: suck it up for a while. Most likely, you won’t live with your parents after high school. But if something is really important to you, don’t give up on it. Hindsight tinted with regret is worse than good foresight.
While you’re still at home, accrue what knowledge you can from your parents. For the rest of your life, you’ll be doing all of your own dishes, running your own errands, garnering your own wisdom, and relying only on yourself.
What’s the point of growing up too fast?
