News, Advice, and Tips for Parenting Teenagers

I recently turned 17 and life for me has changed completely. My dad used to be very easy going yet a still concerned parent like any other. This year he stopped working due to no jobs. Also my grandparents live with us. I have three other sisters and a mother. It seemed like since my dad had so much time on his hands considering the fact of him being home all the time that he now has a sudden interest in me and my sisters lives. He has gone so strict to the point where my eldest sister who is 20 plans to move out. Whenever I want to go out e.g. friends house, out shopping, to the movies or just for a coffee he would make a big deal about it and ask every possible question as to why I want to go but then will tell me off saying I have an answer for everything. Its even worse for my older sisters ages 19 and 20 because you would not except there curfews to be 7 to 8 pm. We haven't done anything wrong or lost there trust for him to be like this but I cannot take any of this. I turn 18 next year november and that's when I plan to leave. And my grandma makes everything worse. She is so evil its unbelievable. She puts sh*t in my dads head she would complain the whole night until we get back home she would disrespect my dad and mum saying they don't no how to raise as etc. I just want a normal life. Im not asking to come home 1 or 2 in the morning just suitable curfews. When i was younger i was allowed to do much more it just seems like the older I'm getting the less Im allowed to do things. I hate my life. I just want to leave this world behind me and start a new chapter.

hey im 17, and im european. im always hearing about how strict forgine parents are and i dont seem to understand. i have cousins and i know gurls who arnt allowed to date or wear makeup? wttff! iv been wearing makeup since i was 13, my mom lets me date as long as she meets him, i'v even been able to spend the night at boy/gurl sleepover's since i was 16. this summer i took a trip to florida for a week with my boyfriends family. my mom and i are very close and we talk about sex and gurl stuff. she said as long as ur proteced and you both love each other that its natural to want to. almost all my friends are american so when people find out im forgine they are like, NO WAY! its just that my parents are very educated and they dont see anything wrong with me going out and driving and dating. most forgine girls date anyways but they do it in secret.

I remember being a teenager and being really frustrated with my parents and the restrictions I had. My family was imploding with arguments, stress and a sibling who was acting out. I got blamed when I stopped being the family angel and started wanting freedom and to do whatever I wanted. The best advice I can give anyone posting here is to try to talk to your parents when you are calm and they aren't already upset, tired or stressed. If you can come at the discussion with a calm voice and ask that you be heard, as well as allowing your parents to be heard, it can make a difference. Talking to a school counselor can also be a good option. Getting your feelings out to a neutral party can feel very liberating.

My dad is really strict. My mom isn't really but she just goes with whatever my dad says. I've never been out hanging out w/ friends. (except for once when I said I was working on a project after school, but I went to the mall instead) I'm not allowed to give out my phone number or text. I have a facebook but they check it like everyday! He doesn't allow me to friend or accept friend requests from certain people. They don't allow me to have a bf, but I've had and they found out and got so mad. Now I'm in highschool and I'm doing an online highschool program. After the past my dad just doesn't trust me. I've gotten Honor Roll ever since I could remember. Do chores, clean the house, take care of my brother, but still I get no freedom. I'm a christian and I love God with all my heart. He died for my sins and has forgiven me. But my dad doesn't. I'm never gonna go out and do drugs or have sex before marriage or drink. I'm not attracted to that type of crap. I just want normal freedom that a normal teen gets. They had that. That's why I just want to graduate highschool early and be emancipated. I hate living this way. It's torture. They give me everything I want except for the one thing I really want freedom. They can stop feeding me or anything as long as I have freedom. If you're a parent out there reading this don't be too strict. Give your kids rules but don't choke them with it. You can put all the rules you want but at some point they'll rebel. You can tell them what to do but you can't make them do it. Just look at countries that were too strict like england back then. The colonies rebelled becasue of strict rules.

Im a 15 year old guy. My parents are so overly strict. They set rules for the most retarded stuff and when i ask why they say because or because im your parent and i can. Like I have to go to bed at 10:00 and have all electronics off at 9:00. Whats the point in doing nothing for an hour. and I can play video games for like 2 hours maybe 3 times a week. I can't go out on school days and if i go out on the weekend i have to be back at like 8:00. The older i get the worse these rules are getting. Plus my mom is actually not that strict. She just does whatever my dad says. She denies this but whenever i ask her something she thinks about what my dad would do and it's usually a no cause she doesnt want to go against him. My life sucks. Plus my neighborhood is no place for kids. Half the nieghborhood has known my dad since they were kids. They are the biggest snitches and gossipers around. They tell my dad everything me and my sister do. Plus i get in trouble for stuff my sister does. Shes 16. She had friends over while they were gone. The neighbors called my dad. Now im in trouble for not telling my parents my sister was having people over. How is that fair. Halloween is tomorrow and now i cant go out. I hate my childhood. I hate my neighborhood and the people in it. and i hate how my parents are. They don't know how to raise children.

Hi there.,. You think you guy's parents are too strict?! Check out my parents! I'm 20 and turning 21 this November. And I still can't go to a DAMN FUCKIN mall without my mom going all crazy. I can't ask for my dad's permission coz he'll go hysterical on me too, can't really count on them when it comes to me having an actual life. I end up going behind their back and all, BUT when it comes to things like me going for an audition or work (far places) I really can't just go behind their back. HELP ME! I tried talking to them and all, but they're too stubborn to think about MY LIFE. They just and always think what people would say to them and NOT WHAT I FEEL. I'm going out of my mind!! SUICIDE is NOT on my to-do list. But I believe they're inch by inch push me on the edge of a cliff. FRUSTRATED. ANGRY. DEPRESSED. ANNOYED.

Hi im 14 years old and my parents are two strict. Im not alowwed to date. im not alowed to txt guys or add them as friends on facebook. I cant wear makeup. I cant go to sleepovers if my parents dont know there parents. I have soooo many chores. Everytime I ask them to go somewhere they say umm YOU BETTER HAVE A RIDE OR U AINT GOING! or when I ask them for money for something so flippin simple they say UM YOU GOT MONEY TO PAY FOR THAT! no I flippin dont...Im 14 and its hard to find a freakin job at that age so why the heck do you expect me to have money???? I get in trouble for the littlest things. like accidently leaving the light on or u know something small like that. I just hate it!! they always have a freakin attitude for EVERYTHING!!! Im always in trouble for stupid stuff they shelter me tooo much there are a bunch of other things that I just dont feel like explianing right now...I cant stand it. Im not asking for them to let me do watever i want. Im saying DUDE!! let me be a teenager. let me experience teen life! because if i dont get just a litle freedom when IM 18 IM GONE!!! i will do watever the heck I want.. By sheltering me so much you are actually not helping me at all you are causing me to want to rebel. I really want to go live with my mom and the only thing that is stopping me is that I dont want to get in trouble from my parents about talking to mom about living with her.. CAUSE THEY WILL PUNISH ME FOR THAT! I just cant take it. I hate my life..they are lots of things that I enjoy out side the house...but inside Im DYING! I tried cutting myself but my sisters sorta starting noticing and I know they wont tell but I know if they slip my parents will send me to like a mental hospital for like kids with depression and cutting etc. but im not crazy they are driving me crazy!! I know I sound like a total freak but I just really needed to right this and get it out. I didnt think it would help but it did:) comment if you feel the same.

Hi! To me parents are too strict! I know they want the best for me but im 14 i never had a chance to do what i want. My entire life was sports, i played baseball and basketball since i was 5. Now im playing jv softball for high school. But i never got to go hanging with my friends at the mall or anywhere. I have two brothers whos also in the same situation. Their stuck in baseball and football, what im saying is...theres need to be freedom! A kid needs to be a kid and i never been happy in my social life. I mean come on, i cant talk to boys, get there number! I had bfs before...behind my dads back, bit my reason is because i have no life! Guys like me and i cant do anything if i feel the same for a guy. Just sick of it cant stand being trap. I have to be at the park every dam day and if i jave no practice im at my brothers practice, either working on softball, or running LAPS around the field! My mom and dad divorced...my dads a grouch...he got remarried to a short naggy women...i hardly get to see my mom...life is hard for me...because of softball i have this back problem that always hurt me whenever i run.One day i wish for freedom and happyness...i hope it comes soon :'(

I think the problem with strict parents do not concider is when they've become over the top with allow their kids to grow in teen years. Making their own mistakes, just because you tell them doesnt mean theyll know for them selves how the experience is. Although some experiences can be prevented like under age drinking. But back to the point, STRICT PARENTS need to understand that isolating the teens and having them on lock down for so long, once they become of age they will go wild with freedom. Trying to catch up on everything they missed through those strict years. Think about it parents is that really what you want your kids to go crazy with acholo abuse drug abuse sex and partying? I know as soon as i become of age i cant want to go do what i want and have my parents tell me no. Im tired of missing out on things with my peers... Im sure my parents will regret how they parent once they see me in 2 years.

omg. my parents are the worst. they make me give up some of the best friends that i ever had just cause they screwed up once. i mean im 15- like come on. i have e mails and they feel they can grab the computer any time they like to see who im talking to and what im talking about. my mom is way worst though. she stands behind me on the desktop computer and watches to see what i say. i cant say the slightest curse- not even hell or damn. they are always ontop of me. i get good grades and everything. they caught me with my boyfriend about twice and i dont understand when they will see that no matter what they do they cant keep me away from him. send him to jail-and im gone. kill him-im dead. anythiing they do honestly- we always find a way to talk and be together. i have no privacy at all. no lock on my door so im forced to change in the bathroom or my closet. they search through my stuff and dont even give me any time to breathe. the only sneaky thing i do is be with my boyfriend and they just dont understand that its love. i dont know what to tell them . im soo depressed cring all the time cause i know deep in my heart that i just dont love them. they are suffocating me way too much and i just need to be free. i have to be sneaky cause if i dont then how will iever get freedom . if they could just understand me. i want to talk to them but they just dont get it. ive tried soo many things. including suicide but i just cant leave my boyfriend alone-he needs me. i dont get it. why cant they just seem to understand. i dont know what to do im just depending on God and putting my trust in him to help me and guide me cause afterall, who else can help me more than God

my mom is so strict im 15 years old. my mom always wonder why i have attitudes with her, i have every right to be mad at her because everytime i ask her if i can go out with friends she says yes, BUT I HAVE TO GO. i'll be 16 in about 26 more days, but what 15 year old do you know that still wants to hang out with her parents. dont get me wrong i love to hang out with my mom because she buys me everything i want but i dont always want to be under her wing. i cant tlak to my mom about this because there is no talking or comprimising with her, she dont listen to a word i have to say, its like im not even here, everytime i try to talk to her about it she gets an attitude so there for its only right i get one back. some of my family tells me i should just ride it out, dont do anything stupid, that i have a good life i understand that i have a good life im really spoiled and i get any material thing that i want, but material things dont mean that much if you dont have any freedom. i love material things but i would also love freedom. some of my family members try to help me out ant talk to my mom, but like i said there is no talking to her, she gets mad at them, and say "she's my child, if she has a problem she can talk to me about it, you dont need to be her spokes person" lie #1 i cant talk to you about any thing, lie fact #1 they are not my spokes person they are looking out for me, because unlike you they know im having a melt down and i can only go so far. now i feel that i have no choice but to rebel, i mean if i cant have my freedom then i should just take it right?

i mean im tired of being the good child, i have worked 15 years to try to get you to trust me just so i can go out n have freedom, but you dont trust me so i have been working for nothing. i have gave you no reason not to trust me i am a good child making good grades but you feel the need to keep me locked up.

i have a question. my mom wont let me go 5 minutes away from my house, to my best friends house, but she let me go to another county like 3 hours away from where i live, and i stayed with people i didnt know, she didnt know, but she knew the friend that i went with. now i ask do that make sense? but she knows my best friend and she knows her parents she knows where she live, but she didnt know the people i stayed with, she didnt know where they lived or how to get there, i just think she screwd in the head.

i cant go to the movies with guys or girls so i have to sneak, im not aloud to have a boyfriend so i sneak and have one. if only she knew how much she is driving crazy and the more she treats me like a prisoner the more im going to rebel. i've snuck out to see boys, i've had plenty of boyfriends, and i've kissed boys. now i say if she knew what i knew things would deff change. like i said im done with the good me, she dont know how good she's had it. now its time to take my freedom and live, since i only live once, i have to live it up right, if i get into trouble well thats on me i will always blame her

BRE C

well.. this little rant might take a little while..

I am 14 years old, and i would say i have a real strict mom and dad. I have one younger brother who is 10, an older brother who is 15 and an older sister who is 16. Both my mom and dad are strict but as me and my sister are girls usually my mom deals with us and my dad deals with my brothers.


I think my parents are real strict but they are only strict to protect us. They want us to lead a good life and dont want us to get hurt.

But i have to say they really do annoy me at times.. these are some reasons why!

- they always say "there is a concequence for EVERY action,so think before you act", ofcourse as we are all under age, no smoking or alchol at all. My sister tried smoking out on the balcony once and i do have to say she got one bad concequence for that. My parents expect all of us to achieve nothing below a 'B+' at every class in school and if that is not achieved we have to keep doing the assigment until achieved. My mom and dad check our homeworks before submitted so that we do, do well. Swearing or using any words refered to Jesus or God in the house also reults to concequences which are not good. We can not leave the house without permission, NO LYING, no cell phones or electrical devices to be used after lights off at 10.00pm on school nights. Any slamming of doors our doors are removed from our bedroom for a period of time and 3 hours maximum a day on the computer.

Every rule we break results to a concequence usually resulting to our privallages limited or comfiscation of favourate goods.

So i do have to say i think we dont get it easy but i think it is all for our own safety, so everyone dont be upset by your parents strictness its all for your own goood.

I am 16 years old and my parents are incredibly strict as well. I have never been out with friends before because my dad is paranoid and thinks that someone is going to kidnap me or rape me etc. My parents say that friends aren't important and that I don't need them and that the only thing I need is family. My dad tells me that I need to spend more time with the family as if I don't already. I spend every moment of my life with family because they won't let me out of their sight.
Also, I'm an honor roll student. I have never gotten lower than a B on my report card. My dad will take away all my privileges if I make under a 3.5 gpa. My dad won't let me do anything or go anywhere with anybody but family.
Every now and then, they will let me spend the night at a friends house.
I have a boyfriend that I have been with for about a year now and we have had sex once about 6 months ago and regret it because we are big time Christians.
We have promised each other that we will not do it again until we are married.
My dad found out about it because he went online and read every single one of my text messages and now it seems as if he hates me. I have no privacy btw.
Now my dad will never let me go to my friends house again because he thinks I will go meet up with my boyfriend like I have done once before.
I have told him a million times that I have changed and he still won't let loose. I HAVE changed. I am a million times closer to God than I was and I am a very good student.
I just wish my dad would give me some freedom. I would rather live in a box with all the freedom in the world than live in my house and just sit inside, watching my friends have fun.
My dad thinks that I'm a horrible child. He thinks that I'm going to go out and do drugs and smoke or something. I would NEVER do that. It's disgusting. Apparently my dad doesn't know me.
What parents like mine don't realize is that being too strict like this is a horrible mistake. They don't understand that once we get into college, we will go crazy and try to catch up on the things that we missed in our teen years.
I have tried discussing things like this with my dad, but he just tells me that I whine and complain too much and that I need to grow up....
How the hell am I supposed to grow up if he won't let me experience the world?

It seems to me that all of the comments left above are a little immature. I myself am 19 and I do have very strict parents. I am also not allowed to go out, my parents don't exactly favor my boyfriend for no apparent reason, they have high expectations for my grades...etc. I get the whole "My parents are too strict thing", and it's even worse when you're a really good kid. I find that communication is the best solution for this type of problem....NOT REBELLION, NOT SUICIDE. I mean come on, we're still teenagers and we have our whole lives ahead of us. We shouldn't let strict parents get in the way of anything. You need to speak with your parents and if that doesn't work, which I'm sure it might not the first twenty times, you need to keep approaching them. Reality of the situation is : they're your parents and the only reason why they act like this is because they love you. There is NO WAY that you can blame your rebellion and stupid descisions on your parents. Who you are is your choice, it doesn't matter what situation your in.

I guess I'll just leave my comment at this:

There are so many difficult situations in the world (People who have Cancer, MS...etc) and if your only problem is Strict Parents, you'll survive another 4-5 years and perhaps by then you'll realize why they acted the way they did.

Oh and one more thing....Rebelling doesn't hurt your parents as much as it hurts you in the end...so just think logically about your descisions and don't be so dramatic...perhaps they will see that your ready to be independent.

my whole life is ruled by my parents. I have done all the things i can possibly to make them happy. Since i am the only child, i was raised with the alot of expectation. I am expected to get all A's. Currently, i am a junior in high school and am taking all the honor class and they expect me to get all A's. nobody gets A in honors class. Its a challenging class but they don't understand and on top of that, i am no social life. I can not hang out with friends if its dark outside. wad kinda BS is that? I am soooo sick of everything. I feel like my life is crumbling down and wana give up everything. I dumped my bf for my parents and yet still they continues to give me no freedom what so ever. I don know wad i am gona do.

my parents are wayyy to strict. i can't go hang out anywhere except the park only because my mom can see everything from our house. not only that but i can't be out of the house for more than 30 minutes. and i just get so depressed living like this. i feel like im suffocating and im just trapped and i have to control which leads me to doing things i know are very unhealthy and bad. but its like i never did anything wrong and never gave them a reason to take everything from me and now that i have many reasons they say "this is what happens when we let you out" and its not ever true. because i have to lie to go to places because they dont let me just for the fun of it. and at time i feel so helpless and i just can't go living on like this. i have suicidal for some time but now i just say to myslef 3 more years till im out of this hell you call home. they seriously made me hate them!

My parents are always expecting me to get all 100's at school, even though they don't help me with anything. Even a 99 isn't good enough for them and sometimes, they just brush me off even though i show them all my good grades.

I had just recently moved too and still adjusting to the school. It's hard for me to keep up to date with everything and they still want more from me. They keep telling me that I should be happy about going to school. And I constantly tell them that I can't automatically lie and tell myself to be happy. My mind just rejects the thought so I have to force myself to go to school. They think that there's no such thing as unhappiness or depression.

They want too much of me. Plus, they have already planned my life. Graduate from high school, graduate from college, get a job as either a doctor or lawyer and I can't DATE until all of that. My life's too complicated and they're just making it worser. I understand that that only want what's best for me, but they never listen and think they already know what I want, expecting me to be just like them.

To be honest i dont think my parents can get any more strict...theyre so strict i cant even go out late at night with friends like going clubbing, parties, K, etc. I am turning 19 in about 4months and i have really no freedom. I really dont know how to get my parents to give me freedom. I just simply hate being at home now and hate my life. Im almost 19 and im in uni (college for you americans) and my parents dont even trust me. Keeping me at home is not helping, i need a taste of freedom.

There probably isnt many people out there like me. Now i cant stand it anymore, its time for me to rebel. I tried to talk to my parents (more like my mum, my dad is easy going)about giving me more freedom like going out late at night and they would simply not listen at all. What kind of parents dont listen to their children...

Ive had enough, if being a sensible adult and talking to my parents dont work...im going to just go out at night and dont come home..im sick of my pathetic life so now i'll do anything radical to make it worth living for.

i can tell you now that if youre have overly strict parents and you feel like you are an adult and you can make good judgement however your parents still dont trust you...just rebel, hopefully your uptight strict parents will give you more freedom and trust you. its important how you rebel..when i say rebel i dont mean being stupid and getting done by the cops, or getting pregnant or something stupid. You could just go out and come back when you are ready to face your parents because you have broken that so-called curfew, they should realise that they cant keep a chain on you forever.

I have a strict parent, that was brought up in a very strict household. She wasn't allowed to do certain stuff, and neither am I.

I am nearly 15, and I am not allowed to go meet up with my friends and have some fun, my mum argues the point that, you are not going to a park, just to 'hang out'. And she seems to be going to this point all trough the argument. Now I am not doing well in school as a should be. I have no "umpth". I say that its because I am not allowed to do go out to meet with friends. I am not doing well in school, since I do not look forward to anything. ( If you understand what I am getting at). Now my mum has a fair point, I shouldn't be allowed to go miles away, but I'm not allowed to meet up with anyone, unless it is arranged to go round a house for the day.

It has come to a point that my mum is not listing to me, and she is not even trying... to let me out. And see how it goes. And if school work doesn't improve, then take a few privileges away. I am stuck inside most weekends. On the computer. The only social life I have is on msn; only place I can talk to my friends when out of school.

I am at the point of considering to rebel, but if I do, I may get kicked out of the house. or punished harshly. i.e Not allowed to do anything.

Please, I know this is all over the place, but I am fed up with not being allowed some independence.