Have you ever faced a problem and didn’t know how to solve it? Then you wanted to seek advice from your parents, but felt like they’d humiliate you? Well, you’re not alone. Most teenagers do, in fact, feel this way. This is an illusion, at least in most situations, because parents can actually give you great advice about your personal lives.

Teens should listen to parents about school and career choices

First, we face many problems in school; for example, scores and grades. A lot of people don’t talk to their parents about this AT ALL because they don’t want to get yelled at. This is completely wrong because your parents care about you and how you do in school. They’ll always care about how you do in school, and they’ll always try to help.

Next up we have career choices. You should always seek help from parents about future career choices. As I’ve said before, they care about you, and would wish you the best. Yet, there are some exceptions. Some parents are controlling and want their child to pursue a career they have planned for them. In this case, you should talk to someone else who would support you rather than your parents.

It’s always nice to talk to our parents about our future. They can give wonderful and unbiased advice since they don’t have the need to make you happy with their answers.

Parents and relationship advice

Next, we have the classic teen problem — relationships. Many teenagers are starting to have relationships at a young age. Most of them choose not to tell their parents about it. This is either because they feel uncomfortable doing so, or the parents don’t allow it. You shouldn’t feel uncomfortable since parents have been young too. Talking to parents about certain parts of the relationship could benefit you. They could offer sincere advice to help the relationship. After all, they should be more familiar with dating than you are.

Of course, in relationships, we have romance. Many teenagers do not know how to treat their other half. It might be embarrassing to ask parents about this, but it’ll benefit your relationship.

Now, we have the one thing that most teenagers, at least in taiwan, never ever want to talk about – sex. In other countries, many teenagers have “the talk”. Yet, in Taiwan, most people are more conservative. Parents don’t like to talk about sex. They think talking about sex is an encouragement. Schools don’t teach about sex either. As a result, most teenagers’ knowledge on sex is from the internet. Not everything on the internet is true, and teenagers might learn false things. So, if you’re curious about sex, don’t be afraid to talk to your parents about it.

Teens should talk to their parents about their social lives

Friendship is another problem most people face at some point. It’s not embarrassing to ask your parents for advice, because they’ll always try their best to help you. Again, they’ve been young before too, and there’s few things you’ve experienced and which they haven’t.

Peer pressure and bullying is another thing we don’t like to talk about. Yet, pushing it down will not make anything better. Talk to them about it. My classmates bullied me in fifth grade, but because of my parents advice, it stopped after one week. That saved me a lot of tears.

The exceptions

Of course, there are some exceptions. If your parents are the controlling kind about your future, it’s best not to talk about your life goals with them. Here’s an example: many parents want their children to be doctors or lawyers. But the child wants to be something else. In this case, it’s best not to seek advice from parents, because it’ll cause needless arguments.

Another exception is when they are unsupportive. For example, if you’re part of the LGBTQ+ community, but your parents are homophobic, don’t talk to them about it. Talk to friends or supportive teachers instead.

The last exception is with very small decisions. You don’t have to be calling your parents all day asking them what you should eat or what color you should wear. You should make these decisions. Not your parents.

—

In conclusion, teens need to listen to their parents about their personal lives. It may feel weird at first, but when time passes, it’ll feel more like talking to a friend who is smart.