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Parental Understanding
"When I make simple mistakes, like making bad grades or doing something without being instructed, they yell at me, ground me and just act as if they never done something similar."
By Patrick Lai-Fang
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For generations, adolescents and parents have always had their differences and misunderstandings. Youth Radio’s Patrick Lai-Fang has definitely not escaped such difficulties with his parents. In fact, he thinks his parents should broaden their perspective when they judge (and punish!) him for his mistakes. In this personal reflection, Patrick tells us why he thinks his parents should remember their own past before laying down punishment for the present.
My parents always act as if they were never teenagers. They think they were the most perfect kids ever. However, I suspect they probably made more mistakes than I do.
I’m sure they made a mistake in school and didn’t pass a class. These mistakes lead to big punishments for me. They act as if they never messed up at school. I know my mother did...maybe she wants me to do better than her.
My folks should understand that everyone makes mistakes and no one is perfect. When I make simple mistakes like making bad grades or doing something without being instructed, they yell at me, ground me and just act as if they never done something similar.
When I am a parent, I am going to be sure to tell my kids that I was never perfect. And that they will make mistakes sometimes, because no one is perfect.
- Youth Radio Atlanta is produced in cooperation with WABE and funded in part by The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.
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