I am now 17 yrs old. I am very independent and i work at lease 5 days out of the week sometimes more. My mom has been married 3 times and this is her third. Now there are 5 younger kids that I am responsible for. I do have a boyfriend, and we have been together for about 3 yrs. I have made mistakes but what teenager doesn’t?
Okay here’s my problem and my question.How do I get my mom to understand that all I want to do is go hang out on my off days? I don’t want to have to watch the kids when i have a brother that is 15 and can do it but hes just lazy. She knows where I’m at what i am doing. I call her every hour. when i am with my boyfriend i call her even more or text her. I’m only allowed to hand out 2 days out of the week. how do i get her to understand that I’m not doing anything wrong and that i just want to hang out? I do make time for the family so that she doesn’t complain. I believe that my mom is worried that i am going to end up like her with a baby at 16. I’m already past that point and far more responsible. So what should i do? and am i the one that’s wrong?
Irene
It is not that you are wrong. It is that you are asking someone how to get your mom to change her mind. This is an impossible task. Here is my suggestion.
You are 17 and that means a year, 12 months, 52 weeks before you are 18. Hold on and remember to pick your battles wisely. Maybe your mom thinks you do a better job with your younger siblings than the 15 year old does. I agree it is not fair however it maybe safer for the little ones and if this is so your mom is paying you a HUGE compliment.
Try negotiating with her. See if you babysit and then she will give you some free time afterwards. In other words give her what she wants and then ask for what you want. If it doesn’t work then start counting the calendar and say no on your birthday if you still want to say no. A year only seems like a long time but peace is worth a lot.
M Kay Keller
