Information Related to "Forgiving Your Parents"
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My
dad is so unfair!" exclaimed Connor, age 17. Ever since he'd gotten
his driver's license, he'd been enjoying driving over to his friend's home
and even running errands for his mother. But his grades at school began
suffering due to his lack of study.
His dad had talked to him previously about this problem and warned him
that he would lose his driving privileges if he didn't bring his grades
up. After seeing the latest report of Connor's continuing poor academic
performance, his father announced that he would no longer be driving until
his grades improved. Connor felt like he was being treated like a little
child.
For Amanda, age 16, it's her mother who has her upset. "While I was at school, my mom snooped through my desk and found my diary and read it," she related. "Now Mom knows all this personal stuff about me. She said she read my diary because she was concerned about me. I've been really quiet lately, and she wanted to know what was going on in my life. But I think what she did was a horrible invasion of my privacy. I'll never forgive her for doing that!"
Complaints like these are all too common among teens. One or both of your parents may have done something that upset you, and you're having a hard time forgiving them for what they did. It could be due to any number of offenses—perceived or real. Your parents may seem overprotective or too strict, or perhaps their punishments seem extreme. Or it could be you've seen some very real shortcomings in your parents. Maybe your mom and dad do not follow through on their promises, lose their temper a lot or play favorites among you and your siblings.
(We're not dealing here with cases of actual abuse or abandonment. If that's happening, we encourage readers to seek competent counsel.)
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Table of Contents that includes "Forgiving Your Parents"
Other Articles by Becky Sweat
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