ACTUAL PEOPLE

‘Bro he doesn’t get life at all and doesn’t see us as actual ppl and it’s so frustrating’, came the text from my oldest.

This was part of a conversation I had with my daughter about her frustrations at not being heard by her father. About the attacks against her alleged unhealthy eating habits causing her hyperhidrosis, though this is a condition she has suffered all of her life. About her lack of work ethic. The insults continued with his claim of the ‘imaginary effort’ she puts into her work.

Sadly, such diatribes are quite the common occurrence with all of my children, with school grades taking the lead over everything and anything. However, as much as I have tried, I can only control what happens on my end of the dialogue and have decided to give up that fight for sake of preserving my wellbeing.

What do young people want? The same as us adults. To be seen. To be heard. To be treated as actual people. But many times, parents want to continue to control a situation when things do not appear to be going according to their timelines or desires. When children do things in a manner which parents deem unacceptable. But who is to say what is acceptable and which path is the correct one?

Young people are actual people. They will eventually find their way. In their own time. As long as parents trust the process and hand over the reigns to their children.