to my mother:
you are not perfect, so don't act like you are.
I am not perfect, so don't expect me to be.
stop using every conversation we have as an opportunity to criticize me about something.
stop laughing at me, and stop making fun of me when you don't want to talk. it's just an excuse to belittle me so whatever I'm saying seems silly, or write it off as "look at my little baby being a teenager".
stop playing the "well, you're lucky I'm not like some other parents" card.
stop blaming me for everything.
stop always assuming the worst about people.
stop dismissing any emotion I have as me being tired or sick.
stop ignoring me. yes, I do those things too sometimes-- when I really don't care. (you telling me to do chores is not a conversation. I'm sorry, but I don't care that your coworker's acquaintance's mother's aunt is ill. I don't have the slightest clue who any of those people are)
stop treating me like I'm stupid.
I am never good enough-- nothing I do ever gets your approval. there is always something terribly wrong with me.
this is me, and you are just going to have to come to terms with that at some point. I will never be the bubbly cheerleader whom everybody knows and loves. I am awkward and a little shy. I cannot change my entire personality.
you are not an expert on how I act in social situations. I behave very differently when I'm not with you.
you say that you were trying to be a good listener. a good listener at least tries to act like they care. if I wanted your brand of "listening" I would be better off talking to a wall. you say "well, you attack me when I say something" why is that? because you say useless things like "you sound angry" or tell me things that indicate you think I am stupid. I am angry. you tell me I shouldn't be angry, and that I shouldn't express my opinions. perhaps I wouldn't be so angry if I wasn't constantly ignored and told to be quiet.
aren't teenagers supposed to be angry, irresponsible, disrespectful, and selfish? I think I should get a little more credit. you should be grateful for how polite, responsible, helpful, and well-behaved I am.
whenever I have a problem, you use it as an opportunity to tell me how irresponsible/ disrespectful/selfish/emotionally/socially retarded I am, and that absolutely everything bad in the world is completely my fault, and how you are worried about the rest of my life because of how terrible I am at X. believe it or not, I get tired of hearing this.
you should be happy that your child is aware of and cares about the outside world, instead of worrying about how their opinions affect their social life.
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