It’s a well-known fact that children are living with their parents longer than before (or longer than their parents would like). We rely on our parents for food, shelter and paying for a TV license (cheers Dad!). But do we decide our life choices because we feel like we owe our parents something?
Here are a few parental suggestions you can ignore and it won’t kill you.
- Stay in a job because its stable, even though it makes you unhappy
Your parents only want stability for you, heck you want stability for you! We’re all aware the job market is abysmal, you get to a point where you are just applying for jobs because you spend money like it grows on trees, and Netflix won’t pay for itself. However, you spend most of your day in the workplace so listen to your gut feelings. If your mental and physical health isn’t great because of your work, Get. Out.
- Don’t date at a young age
Coming from an Asian background my mother was in denial that her daughter even possessed the ability to like someone. Now all of a sudden, why I’m not getting married in the next year is a problem. When in my teenage years the only relationship I was allowed to have was with, AQA, OCR and Edexcel. I mean don’t date when you’re like twelve! But liking someone, at any age, is the best and worst feeling ever.
- How to spend your money
You’re finally semi-independent, you haven’t been asked to pay rent (yet) and money is now regularly gracing your current account. That money is yours to spend however you want. Go on holidays, buy five pairs of shoes that look exactly the same. Who else are you earning for?!
- Focus on the future, eyes on the prize
Millennials are always focusing on the future. With an increasing number of our peers gaining instant “success” in their early twenties, so feeling stressed is inevitable. Stress in some ways is a good thing and can motivate you, but focusing too much on the future can actually ruin our performance. We feel happier and healthier learning to live in the moment. In fact, it makes you twelve per cent more productive (Fast company, 2015). So relax. You’ll be twelve per cent more successful that way!
- These will be the best years of your life.
Yes, being 20 is great to a 50 plus-year-old person and to be fair you do grow as a person. But do not believe its all downhill after you’re 30! I mean whilst your struggling to figure out these hidden finances in life (damn tax!), my parents and older coworkers have more adventures than I do! They’ve had that time to grow confidence and finance so they can live a bit more. Don’t believe someone who’s talking through nostalgia. Especially when the Advice starts with the dreaded “when I was your age…” It’s not a fair comparison and most likely will make you feel inadequate. Times are different now. Your struggle is real.
- It doesn’t matter what others think about you.
You should always love who you are. Your parents will always think you’re the best thing on this earth. Obviously a biased opinion. But there’s a time and a place for that kind of advice. For example, meeting new managers and interacting with a landlord when you really want his house, are times you want to make an amazing first impression! Truth is people will always judge you regardless of a situation, but there are some instances you can control. It is essential to find that balance.
Am I wrong to not want to become a surgeon? No. I know I’d never be passionate enough (or clever enough) to ever attempt that profession. So why listen to that advice anyway?! The only thing we owe to our parents is to be happy.
نمرا
“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” ― Confucius
Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/3048751/happy-employees-are-12-more-productive-at-work – 22nd July 2015
Image from www.parentaladvisorywarning.ca. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
