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170 The Teen Survival Guide to Dating and Relating
As you get older, your parents may continually warn you about every pos-
sible danger lurking out there in the world. And their criticisms, reminders, and
restrictions may seem never-ending. Does any of this sound familiar:- “Don’t you think you’ve been on the phone long enough?”
- “Who’s ever going to want to live with you if you keep your
room like this?” - “How many times have I told you not to leave dishes in the sink?”
- “When are you going to start your English paper?”
- “Why can’t you get a job?”
- “What happened to the money I gave you lastweek?”
These kinds of comments make you feel like a little kid, which is the last thing
you need now that you’re thinking of yourself as a young adult.
You may even believe that your parents say and do things just to make your
life miserable, but this isn’t so. Your parents may seem to give you plenty of
reasons to believe they don’t love you, but remember that there are different
ways to show love and caring. Parental love includes concern, protection, and
wanting the best for you. Problems surface when you and your parents have a
different idea of what’s actually “best” for you.Why can’t I pick out my own clothes?
Hey Terra,I hate the clothes my mom buys for me! She thinks they’re so cool, which they aren’t, and she
thinks it’s so great that she got them on sale and saved all this money. What’s the point of
buying them if there’s no way I’d ever wear them?EmbarrassedDear Embarrassed,If you’re embarrassed by the clothes your mom buys you, tell her. It might be awkward to be
honest with her this way, but how else will she ever know how you really feel?