When I was in high school, I would fight with my parents when they wouldn’t let me do things. I thought that it was the end of the world when they wouldn’t let me hang out with my friends. My friend gets to go, so why can’t I? Right? Wrong. I’m not going to lie, my parents were hard on me. I hated it for a really long time because “it just isn’t fair.” Now that I’ve been on my own for a while, and have been faced with some tough situations and choices, I realize that my parents were only hard on me because they knew what was best for me when I certainly didn’t.

Being able to trust yourself a lot more to make the right choices.

I see a lot of my friends that have had a more lenient upbringing making a lot of questionable choices. I’m not saying that I don’t sometimes make a bad decision, but I trust myself to know what the best choice is for me most of the time. I know that there are consequences for every choice I make, and I take that into consideration a lot more now than I used to.

Being able to tell yourself, “No.”

While I do spoil myself a lot now that I’m in college, I can tell myself no when I need to. I have my priorities in order and if I need to pass up something I really want to do for something I need to do, I can do that.

Being able to appreciate things a lot more.

My parents did a lot for me, and I’m not denying it. They still do. They made me work for things though. I would do chores around the house until I could actually work and earn money to pay for what I wanted. I started paying for certain things when I was a sophomore in high school, and it definitely helped me learn the value of a dollar. I worked for most of the things I received. Yeah, I was lucky that my parents spoiled me. but I can take pride in knowing that I didn’t just get things handed to me (at least not all the time).

Learning to take care of yourself.

My parents taught me how to be independent, I know how to take care of my own needs. I don’t need to depend on anyone else. I know how to pay my own bills and take care of my car and health without having to call home for detailed instructions.

Honestly, being a lot happier.

Because my parents were hard on me, I know what I’m supposed to do. Life isn’t as much of a struggle for me as it seems to be for some of my peers. I can focus on what I need to do and get it done so that I can actually have some fun. I feel a lot more confident in myself because I know that my parents did the best they could to prepare me for the real world, and as long as I do my best I will be just fine.