A petition to all the parents out there.

Anonymous

Dear parents,

We know, we understand, we sympathise with your requests and priorities. But imagine what a stressed out child feels when their parent asks them to clean their cupboard or the space under their study table because it is really important to the smooth and clean functioning of our home. It’s like asking a hardworking employee with his/her eyes set on a promotion to cut out a chunk of time from their busy schedule to prioritise the picking out of a fancy tie to impress the boss; the tie is important but it is not their priority! Then imagine when we say no and reply with a huff or a grunt, we’re greeted with a face contorted with anger and annoyance and ,hands that seem to tighten their grips on glass and swing doors more aggressively than usual. I guess all I’m trying to say is, in the moment we feel so hurt and rejected as though we can never keep anyone happy if we can’t mange to maintain the happiness of our own parents . We feel like we’re losing one of the most or rather the most important part of our lives, our best friends and biggest supporters. Can you visualise how a child burdened with the stress of a competitive and demanding academic world feels at that moment? I know what I feel and I think I’m not alone: you first think about how you’re supposed to give importance to the space under your desk over your business presentation, then you wonder how to do that, you reimagine your mother’s face morphed with irritation, aiming at you and you wonder what in the world you did wrong to face this kind of treatment. Why cant she think from my perspective for a second? Why don’t I get to be annoyed at her? Why must she treat me this way when she knows the pressure I face and the deadlines I'm combatting? Why oh why for just one minute cant she sacrifice her irritation for mine like she used to do so often before ? Why oh why for just a fraction of time can’t she be mother who puts my problems above hers and deals with me like a child and not an adult who has to keep their emotions in check and know when and what to say and not freely express their problems hoping they’ll be immediately addressed . Moms and dads we don’t want to hear the phrase ‘Beta, you’re old now and you must know how to behave yourself’ we just want to be your little, innocent children who once looked at you as a beacon of solace and now are beyond desperation for you to be the same. Sometimes we just wish we didn’t have to be labelled with characteristics defined by the years we’ve spent non the planet but by the fact that we’re your children and we need moments like those in our childhood where everything was all about us. We love y’all so much it hurts. We’re so afraid to hurt you or offend you because even though it might be impossible and absurd to you we can’t afford for you to hate us. Its the greatest fear that is consequential to our misdemeanours. But mummy and papa what my point is that sometimes we’re really tired and we wish that you could address this fear of ours and understand that you’re action affect us really deeply just as ours do you. You’re love means so much to us therefore, so do your words.

Love ,

Your biggest fan.