How can I get my parents to understand what I’m going through? They just don’t seem to get my life.
When you feel like your parents don’t understand you, feeling frustrated is a pretty common reaction. In general, it’s a good idea to consider the way you approach your parents. Depending on what your relationship is like, you may want to consider telling your parents feel uncomfortable walking with them and would like to discuss how you can better communicate.
Then you might have the opportunity to discuss with them how you would like to communicate with each other.
A good rule of thumb for healthy communication is to use “I-statements.” These types of statements are ways to word what you want to say in a way that takes responsibility for your own feelings and doesn’t put the other person on the defensive. Here are the building blocks of an “I-statement:”
“I feel _(emotion)__ when __(their behavior or what is making you feel a certain way)”
Example: “I feel angry when you talk over me during an argument”
Often, parents want what’s best for us and sometimes it’s difficult for them to communicate their intentions. Once you start talking with your parents and working on your communication skills together, you’ll hopefully find that you start understanding each other a little better 🙂
If you’d like more support in talking with your parents or if things are not going well at home, the Community Resource Team can help. They specialize in working with youth and families and can sometimes even come and meet you at your house or in your neighbourhood just to help. They can be reached at 403.299.9699.
And of course, ConnecTeen is always here if you need to talk. You can call us 24/7 on our phone line at 403.264.TEEN (8336) or reach us through chat or text during our peer support hours available here. Our highly trained volunteers would be more than willing to listen to your situation.
