When you’re in high school and a teenager, you don’t want to believe one thing: that your parents actually know what they’re talking about. You are so dead-set on them being wrong that you go out of your way to prove them wrong and end up proving them right. At some point you face the truth: They really do know what they’re talking about. You can fight it tooth and nail all you want, but one day you’ll have to accept it. The sooner you accept it, the better off you will be.
I mean, how could they know anything? They were raised in a completely different “time” than you. No matter the differences in the society that they faced, they still had the same problems: peer pressure; dating; friends; school; jobs and whatever else you can come up with. Your parents have your best interests at heart naturally. However, they do know that you need to learn for yourself. I believe this is one of the hardest things for a parent to watch.
High school is certainly as important as they stress it to be. I promise. College is not an easy venture. It takes determination, commitment and responsibility. Scholarships are hard to get and a serious job is hard to find. If you slacked in high school, no one will want to write a recommendation letter for you.
Curfews aren’t instilled because your parents hate you. When I begged my parents to let me stay out past curfew they would always respond with, “Nothing good happens after midnight," which actually kept me out of some bad situations that I could’ve been involved in. Most things that happen after midnight are illegal and you don’t need to be involved in that anyway.
When your parents tell you that your significant other is no good, listen to them. I cannot stress this enough. Your parents are on the outside looking in, they aren’t blinded by infatuation and they have definitely done their homework. They can, without a doubt, tell you if this relationship is worth your time or not. They don’t want you to have a broken heart. This applies to friendships, too. Before you know it you’ll have a knife in your back and you will be wishing that you listened to your parents.
You may not understand why it's a big deal if your room is clean, your chores are done, if you’ve fed the dog, if you’ve completed your homework, or saying "yes ma’am" and "no sir," but it is a big deal to them. They are trying to raise you to be a respectable human being - someone who is responsible, reliable and punctual. So just obey them, it’s for your future self’s own good.
