Coping with Strict Parents

Originally written by Beth Morrisey, updated by the editorial team on 18th May 2026

Why Parents Set Strict Rules

Parents who set firm boundaries often do so for reasons that matter to them, though their motivations can be more complicated than simple concern. Some worry about safety, others want to protect you from mistakes they made, and some believe structure helps young people develop good habits. A few may be responding to their own anxieties or past experiences in ways that have little to do with you personally.

What feels protective to a parent can feel suffocating to a teenager. You might not even realise your parents are stricter than average until you compare notes with friends or find yourself pushing against a rule that affects something you care about.

Understanding the thinking behind certain rules can help, even when you disagree with them. Common reasons include concern about physical safety, worry about school performance, fear of negative influences, or experiences that have made them cautious. This does not mean every rule is fair or reasonable, but knowing why it exists gives you a better starting point for discussion.

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Talking to Your Parents

Shouting, slamming doors or refusing to speak rarely changes anything. If you want to be treated more like an adult, showing maturity in how you handle disagreements is a good place to start.

Pick a calm moment to ask your parents if you can talk through some of the household rules. Avoid doing this straight after an argument or when everyone is tired and stressed. Think about when your family tends to be most relaxed and receptive, as this varies from household to household.

When you sit down together, try to cover:

Which rules you understand and accept, even if you find them annoying
Which specific rules you feel are unfair or too restrictive
Your reasons for wanting those rules to change
What your parents are worried about and why they set those rules
Whether there is any middle ground you could both live with

Listen properly to what they say, even if you disagree. Parents are more likely to take your views seriously if you show you have genuinely heard theirs.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

Building Trust Together

If your parents have caught you breaking rules before, or if your behaviour has given them reason to worry, rebuilding trust takes time. Words alone will not do it. You need to show through your actions that you can handle more freedom responsibly.

This might mean coming home on time without being reminded, keeping your phone charged so they can reach you, or being honest about where you are going and who with. Small steps add up. If you want a later curfew, try sticking perfectly to the current one for a few weeks first, then ask again.

Trust works both ways. While you demonstrate reliability, it is reasonable to expect your parents to follow through on any flexibility they have agreed to. If they keep moving the goalposts, that is worth raising calmly. You could suggest trying a change for a set period, with clear terms you have agreed together. This keeps the conversation going rather than treating negotiation as a one off transaction.

When Strictness Becomes a Problem

Strict parenting is not the same as harmful parenting, but sometimes the line can blur. If you feel unsafe, cut off from friends and family, or constantly criticised and belittled, what you are experiencing may go beyond ordinary household rules.

If you are worried about how you are being treated at home, you can speak to a trusted adult such as a teacher, pastoral staff member or family member. Childline offers free, confidential support 24 hours a day for anyone under 19. You can call them on 0800 1111 or use their online chat service. Young Minds provides advice and resources specifically around mental health for young people, including those dealing with difficult family situations.

Asking for help is not betraying your family. Sometimes an outside perspective can make things clearer, and there are people who can support you in finding a way forward.

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89 questions

Ask Teen Issues a Question

TeenIssues Editor 29/08/2026 at 7:00 pm

@kojoqie Hearing you mention ending it all really worries me, and I don't want to skim past that. Please talk to someone today, Childline on 0800 1111 is free, confidential and won't ring your parents. What you're describing sounds genuinely exhausting, and being 14 with no outlet makes it ten times worse. A trusted teacher or school counsellor can also help you sort the parent stuff without it blowing up at home. You're not useless, and you deserve proper support.

kojoqie 29/08/2026 at 6:49 pm

my parents are so weird bro like my mom says the most random stuff ever like bro if i spill a drop of milk both of my parents jump on my back and yell at me i have thought of ending it all but i havefound faith and continued going on in my life if i am friends with a girl they make it weird and they threatern to call the girls parents and tell her to stop harrasing thier son and as i was sick and stayed at home so i watched some tv. they removed the tv cuz they said ij had to rest and not watch tv as if they're going to stare at a wal for like 12 hours and they ruined my social life she almost mDe me touch the bus attenders foot as a sorry becase we were laughing too hard in the bus like im so done bro i dont find joy in anything now as they say i am useless, the worst son , a lunatic ,etc. i am sad all the time and in school i have to act happy as if i act sad it looks like it is not me and they wil inform my parents as i have a history of getting into trouble. they will not give me a phone , not even an fljp phone to call, no screentime on weekdays, and 1 hours during the weekends. i feel like i am responsible and stable engouh to be given some freedom at least mind you, i am 14

TeenIssues Editor 04/08/2026 at 9:57 pm

@n That sounds genuinely exhausting, and it's clear you've been through a lot recently. The thing is, after a hospital stay, parents often go into full lockdown mode out of fear, not because they think you're bad. Try asking for one small thing back at a time rather than the whole lot, like 30 minutes of messaging a day to keep your friendships alive, and frame it as something that actually helps your mental health. If you've got a therapist from the ward, get them to sit in on a chat with your parents, because they'll listen to a professional in a way they won't listen to you right now. You're not being dramatic, these rules are a lot, but chipping away works better than another blow up.

n 04/08/2026 at 9:57 pm

Hi im n i’m 14 almost 15 and my parents are strict, No socials, they don’t even let me use google anymore, all my friends have socials and ways to text each other and without them during the summer i’m friendless, my friends just recently stopped talking to me because my parents took away my snap like my house is a hellhole filled with rules when I was in the psych ward they wouldn’t even bring me anything to do, even thought every other patient there had phones and now that I’m back home its a nightmare, i’m not even allowed to watch tv without one of them sitting right beside me, I’ve tried talking to them but they just don’t get these rules are suffocating me more and more and I finally blew up in May and then went to hospit

TeenIssues Editor 19/05/2026 at 9:18 am

@Strictest Rules That sounds genuinely frustrating, especially the mixed messages where they limit your phone but happily plonk you in front of the telly. A 7:30 bedtime at 14 is unusual, so it might be worth picking a calm moment and asking them what they're actually worried about. Often strict rules come from fear rather than logic, and showing you can be responsible (homework done, chores sorted) is the quickest way to earn small bits of freedom. Pick one rule to negotiate first, not all of them at once.

Strictest Rules 03/11/2024 at 7:14 pm

I'm 14 and my parents are so strict they don't care that I am growing up and need to learn to be myself. Instead I go to bed at 7:30, I have my phone for 2 hours a week. However then they make daft decisions like allowing me to watch tv all day and encourage me not to go out with mates and watch the tv they paid for.

Prezzy 29/06/2024 at 4:47 pm

Guys im 15 living with African parents ( Nigerian's to be precise) my dad took me and all my siblings mobile phone including my 19 year old brothers phone i understand why he took my elder brothers phone away but he claimed to take my phone beacuse im not reading that is the only way i communicate with my freinds what should i do i have even started studying to get my phone back its weird and then they start comparing themselves to when they were still young and there was no phones back then well idc that was the 20th century they should grow up we are in the 21st century

mari 18/03/2024 at 7:28 pm

My mom , she always have rules in my life . I am 17 and this year gonna be 18 . My mom all the time taking my phone, checking my socials and even controlling my background , how and whith whom I am talking. I know that this is part of careing about child, but come on I am not 14 or 15 even not 16 I fully know what I am doing , I am not asking being not controlled but .... This is over controlling and too much attention on me is killing me and my mental health. She has all the time an argument about my behaviour and all the time bitting me I am TIRED. I love her , but the way how she is tritting me is crazy , and unhealthy.

help 06/02/2024 at 10:43 pm

I'm already 17 and I'm in love to an 18yo girl with acute depression. When my parents found out, they are forcing me to stop all my connections to the girl because they believe that she will be a problem. They said that if ever me and the girl encountered a problem in the future, the girl might commit sui**de. I get their point but I'm already 17. Am I not allowed to love someone I truly love despite their mental health? Like I'm responsible enough and won't let any problem left unsolved. I love the girl so much but my parents also threatened me that if I continue talking to the girl, they'll force me to stop going to school, as in I'll stay at home and like be a senior high school forever. Please I need help I've been in search for solutions since last week.

shallot 17/01/2024 at 1:40 pm

Yo guys, Im 10 and I just had an argument with my mom, now she won’t help me with my drawing homework and my other writing assignments. What should I do ?

Leana 15/12/2023 at 7:22 am

So basically im 17 years old when i was 13 years i used to talk with a male who is 22 years! Because of my daddy issues ive gotten from my family my parents used to always yelling at each other and disrespecting each other in front of me so i didn’t have any friends because we moved to a new city so i knew that guy from a social media at first he seemed very kind and nice he helped me a lot to forget about my problems with my parents after a few months he stared to asking for nudes and a video call and stuff so i was like no i cant do that he was like we will get married and have a beautiful family so im your husband you can show me and he starts to forcing me to do these stuff until my mother cought me one day and she took my phone and laptop away for a year after that i bought a new phone and I promised her that i will begin a new life so after this she always suspected me that im talking to someone or being gay because i take pictures with my friends normally but she sees it as a shameful behavior that i put my tongue out side to take pictures of making a gang signs with my hands and stuff so she said if i saw you doing this again i will crash your phone and do not you ever think about it so i feel so sad because all of my friends doing these stuff with their mom normally but mine not she always threatened me to be careful how i take my pictures even i cant take pictures while wearing a bra or shorts even i go out with them… i dont have instagram evertime a new friend asks me for my ig username i get shy and tell them im sorry i do not have one.. want you to know mama that you really ruined my teenage life by not letting me practice my hobby (football) and not going out anytime with my friends and feel comfortable with my phone with my own privacy.

Rhirhi 26/11/2023 at 5:00 pm

I'm a 20 year old , my parents are so strict . I stay at home 24/7 , the only time I get to leave the house is when I'm going to church or if I'm sick . I don't have time to go out hung out with my friends. I like going on concerts my parents don't want me to go there because those events take place at night .I feel like they d9nt trust me at all . If I wanted to live a wayward life , I would do that because they leave me at home all by myself if I want to go out I can do that ....but I don't because I know what I want in life . But when ever I ask to go out ...they always say it's not safe for me to go out .what will I benefit if I go these gospel concerts . I don't know what to do .

unknown guy 04/11/2023 at 1:01 pm

Im 15 and I get scolded every few times a week. Its crazy how strict she is and my friends also wonder I live comfortably. While she has discussions with others, she says she friendly with me and when we are alone, she says parents are supposed to be strict. She treats marks as the most important thing in my life, even more then health. Im forced to study with her or she assumes that im just wasting my time. When we study im expected to learn everything by heart, and im supposed to recite the entire page/chapter to her. If i dont i get scoldings which go as far me being a 'sin' in the fam. My dads pretty chill and doesnt interfere in this (Not sure if he even knows whats happening). A holiday for me is waking up at 7:00 and studying for the entire day, if i dont i get scolded. I have a phone but im not allowed to talk to anyone (and i secretly posted this). My phone gets checked and im not allowed to have independent decisions too.

starlingfiresong391 31/10/2023 at 4:42 pm

I know how you feel. My parents say they want me to improve, but every time I try to improve, they scold me and punish me for it. When I honestly have too much on my plate, they punish me by taking away my only way of getting in contact with friends and people. They just took away my phone because I had too much on my plate to do homework and when I tried to explain that fact, they didn't listen, they just were like, "You get a flip phone, end of discussion." If they want me to improve, they should let me improve on my own, without the pressures of having things taken from me. They won't even give me money for shopping, which means that I won't be able to get what I need and I will end up starving and dirty, far from what they want me to do.

cherryerri 28/08/2023 at 5:53 pm

Hi, im mariam. I am 15 yrs old and heres something i would like to share with everyone on this page. My life has hit a drastic change since i had became a teen. My parents are very strict and i belong from a very conservative family. I used to have a phone but it was later taken away when my parents found out that i had some male friends. They went through my phone really deeply and i was beaten and severly abused by my father that it left marks on my body from all the injuries. I was hit by my father like a stray dog and even worse it got me very distracted from my studies. Since then, i have not been allowed to meet any of my friends and i am only allowed to socialize under school premisies. It is really embarassing when my relatives or family friends come over and ask me for the WiFi passcode and since my parents have hidden it from us, i cant really tell anyone. There is a parental lock on every device in my house even the TV. Despite all the traume i have been through, my best friend helped me heal. I have tried painting, journaling to pass my time. To all the teens out there having the same situation as me, i advise you that please dont loose hope and stay patient ecause someday you will move out of your parents house, living a far better life than you used to. Peace

Amitoj 08/08/2023 at 10:16 pm

I have the strictest parents ever. I am not allowed to go to my friends' houses ever, I am only allowed to have my hair in a braid. No ponytail no hair down no nothing. I am only allowed to wear oversized clothing. No shorts no hahalf sleeves no nothing. I am not allowed to hangout with my friends out of school or even go to my friend's house for assignments no matter how much I fail if i don't. I am not allowed to wear nail polish or anything. I cannot even leave my home.

fa25rda88 29/03/2023 at 3:22 am

i have a really strict parents i am from Egypt that's why they are really so so strict and i really don't know how to deal with and it's so annoying my curfew in the home is 6 pm and that's aren't normal at all and i am teenager girl who wan to enjoy her life and it's so hard for me to bear their rules and i really need any help?????????

mayberiahdess 29/12/2022 at 11:41 pm

hi, im mariah. i live with only my mom because my dad is not very stable at all and he doesnt really care about me. im a only child and the only thing i could wish for more in this world is a sibling. its only me and my mom in the house and shes so strict but she doesnt realize it. she wants everything done correctly or i have to do it again, if she really doesnt like how i did it she calls me a bitch. ive told her constantly i dont like to be called that and she also says other things like calls me a whore and im only good for my mouth and other things like that but whenever i tell her i dont like it she says "well if you dont do things that upset me then i wont call you that" she also doesnt let me leave, she broke my phone and took me off her phone plan and wont give me any sort of electronic accept for my school computer because i cant communicate with my friends on it. im 14 and i just want to be able to hang out with my friends and have a phone and be able to do normal things. one time she kicked me out of my room for about 2 months, i had to sleep on the couch and then i was sent to a mental hospital. its so embarrasing because all of my friends never get their phones taken or get in trouble by their mom alot so i dont like to tell them. plus all of my moms friends think shes such a good mom because she has really good credit and she provides for me and she has luxury things and she buys me things too.im really sad because i feel so trapped and i just hide in my room and i really am just waiting for this part of my life to be over and i dont know what to do,i often want to die and think about killing myself everyday im crying writing this and i just wish that my mom would understand. but she never could.

Abigail 11/11/2022 at 3:34 pm

Ok so this will be long maybe. I have such a hard time and i hope this is seen and that im not the only one. Lets start that my parents have given me many mental issues and i now have to go to therapy for them. They forced me out of in person school because I was having bad mental health even though its because of them. I am not allowed to see friends and they say if I think thats bad they can actually keep me like Rapunzel. I survived of a secret iphone 6 they never knew I had and then they found it 1 or 2 weeks ago and my actual phone (that had every single parental control possible and was only unlocked for an hour on weekends.) is taken. They make me use this thing called a syncup KIDS watch thats from tmoblile even tho im 14 but obviously "i need it for safety" . Even the family tv has parental control locks on it so when my moms friends are over its super embarrassing. I wanted to run away but that could make things worse. They have cameras in the house and sensors on my windows and i have the open door rule must be in bed by nine. My books are checked so i cant even read twilight bc edward is "abusive" so i was able to get a girl from church to sneak some of the books to me. Im not allowed to have snacks and candy and if i buy clothes my mom doesnt like they get returned or thrown away even if its not a crop top or something. im on here o nmy school computer and my moms even been on my school computer. im not allowed to have this computer in my room even though its how i concentrate. I could go on even more but thats the main idea of my strict parents and im so annoyed and trapped and helpless and its like they treat me lke im 8 or something even tho im 14 with things like a kids watch designed for 5 year olds. not to mention that i was only allowed to use messenger kids.

b :) 31/08/2022 at 2:49 pm

I swear my dad is the legit worst (in m opinion ive read some of your comments and im like woah) anyways my dad basically controls my life. ever since i was like 6 hes been a helicopter parent. he always did everything for me. im 14 now almost 15 and he treats me like a baby still. i barley ever go to other peoples houses. my first sleep over was in 7th grade. a little back story my mom left me for drugs and i was always aware of that. when she tried to come back into m life i got so embarrassed. she was weird and crazy and mentally stupid. like she had the IQ of a seventh grader. anyways i live in a city where theres two parents in the house and people have picture perfect lives but me i started lying about my life because i was so embarassed of what people would think of me. my dad got mad at me for talking to my asian friends because "im trying to be like them" he told me i need to tell them the truth about my life but i dont want to. he took my phone for the whole summer and got pissed off becaus i got depressed and cried a lot. aparently im being a "powderpuff snowflake" because i show my feelings a lot more. ive already attemped su!c!de because of how he treats me but noooo i was doing it for attention. im neer good enough in his eyes and honestly i wanna go with my mom. live with her. maybe life wont be so bad. god i honestly hate my life.

ZJTolly 29/08/2022 at 9:59 pm

I'm 15, my parents have a control app on my phone. It track my messages, location, texts, calls, apps, screen time etc. Even though they can see where I am they always make me text them when im leaving and when i get there and where im going, how long ill be gone, who im gonna be with. I have my own car that I bought with my own money, (I have a job) I bought it cause I wanted something that I could drive but also put mods on. My dad wont let me get any mods on it, or work on it. like I said earlier I have a job and make quite a bit of money, but im not allowed to do anythign with it except buy gas without getting in trouble.anything I go to I have to give them 2-4 weeks notice depending on the nature of it. they have cameras all over the house, one of them can even see into my room when the door is open. they say its for "home protection" but all they use it for is to spy on me when theyre gone. Im not allowed to date until im 16, but im in a relationship, so they put bs retrictions on it. So she lives roughly 45 mins north of my city, im not allowed to even go to that city for any reason whatsoever, im not allowed to be with her unless my family is there, I CANT EVEN BE WITH HER WITH FRIENDS, until im 16. I turn 16 in a month, so they said once I am 16 I can go out with her with friends. BUT IM NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH HER AT ALL, NOT EVEN HOLD HANDS OR SIT NEXT TO HER. and Im not allowed to go on a date with her alone till we've been "dating" for at least a year. Not to mention that Im not allowed to have snap, tik tok, instagram, the only thing I can have is Facebook and Discord, (I sneak around and have those apps anyway but if they find out that I have it Im gonna be creamed) I cant go to any friends house unless they know the friend, or they have their number, their parent's number, and a picture of them. When I go out I have to tell them EVERYTHING im doing, no no im not allowed to say something like: "hey ill be back by __" no I have to say everything im doing and everywhere im going, but I have to get permission for it. My parents say that I have a lot of freedom, and they always compare their ass parenting skills to my friend's parents (who were strict when he was in high school) but they say that they arent as strict as them, when in reality, they are 3x as strict. The cherry on top is that my dad is my boss at work, so he has access to everything I do, he can see when I work, he can pretty much stalk me. He doesnt know how to keep work and home life seperate, so I get in trouble at work and at home for things i do wrong. He's letting me get a different job, but he's very opposed to it. Im gonna get a different job so he has less control over me.

Im working on graduating early so I can get out of this hellhole, they put me through nothing but misery.

Ambs 04/08/2022 at 4:57 am

I am 24 years old and my dad is so strict and my step mom....unfortunately I don't live with my mom ?? ?? But my dad is so strict like I have my OWN car and I can only drive it to work how stupid is that and I'm not allowed being out with my friends late I don't even have a lot of friends because I have a lot of anxiety and now I'm getting depression and I'm having suicidal thoughts...I'm so tired of living

blake 08/10/2021 at 4:22 pm

My parents are kind of flexible, but sometimes the rules they make are kind of stupid. I lost my
phone for three months just because I stayed up until midnight on it. I think I should have been
grounded, but not for that long. That summer I lost my phone for two months, because I talked to my online
friends. I felt like my online friends are really there for me, and I could tell them anything. My mom didn't like
them and made me never text them again, which made me really depressed. She reads all my texts, doesn't
let me have any sort of social media, which sometimes makes it hard to keep up with friends, and I have a
time limit on my phone, which makes it hard to socialize with others. I'm supposed to go to bed at 8:30 on
weekdays. I don't even fall asleep at 8:30. Most of my friends parents let them use their phone whenever,
and don't snoop through things. They are pretty flexible and don't care. I get good grades, I clean my room,
and I don't always misbehave. I don't know what to do.

hey 11/08/2021 at 9:08 am

Hi im 14 and my parents are very weirdly strict. I can get piercings and go out with friends, whatever they don't care. However I am not aloud to get baptized until im an adult. And I ligit want to get baptized and comit myself to Jesus and publicly show that. But since my parents got baptized young, now I have to wait. Please help before I turn 18 and just say no, I don't want to get baptized. Ig im just mad because they want it to be my choice but it's not. Like really, what. I don't care anymore. i was worried I was gonna go to hell but that was a false thing, so now im living for jesus and thats the best i can do.

lane 25/07/2021 at 8:37 pm

I’m turning 15 in 2 months . I live with my dad who is really strict , and it’s unfair because my friends parents aren’t and I wish my dad was like them . I’m allowed to move when I’m 16 to go live with my mom and I’m so excited . But It’s gonna be hard to get through this year , with parental controls on my phone , 2 hours of screentime a day , my phone shuts off at 9pm . I have to wear shorts that are down to my knees and I’m not allowed to wear crop tops . My mom isn’t strict at all and I can’t wait to go live with her .

VinnFeyn 28/06/2021 at 11:05 pm

I'm 14 years old, nonbinary and lesbian and my parents are massive homophobes as well as strict.
I don't have a phone, I have to share a family one, and I'm not allowed to download any apps or games. I'm not allowed to text my friends without asking, my phone locks at nine, and I'm only allowed on electronics 20 minutes a day. I am not allowed to have sleepovers, social media, or any clothes that my parents don't approve of. I don't have an allowance, and my parents lock away my birthday money for 'college' and tell me to get a job, even though my state doesn't let me do that until 16.

Whenever I try to talk to them about anything important, they twist it around and make it seem like it's my fault (ex. me: "mom, i don't have friends because you won't let me text them ever" mom: "well that's your fault because we can't trust you because remember that one time in seventh grade when you made an instagram account?")
If I even mention that I want to be called by they/he pronouns and have a preferred name, they tell me that I'm just confused, and I need to pray to God and tell my bishop.
I don't have any friends because I don't have social media, and I'm forced to play the violin, or my mum is threatening to take me out of the only school where I feel comfortable and haven't been bullied, and put me in a school full of old bullies. I'm depressed and I feel suicidal sometimes, and I have extreme social anxiety because I'm never allowed to talk to people, and I move every two years because of my dad's job. I cry myself to sleep a lot, and I really don't know what I'm going to do until I get out of high school.
I've been stuck at home a lot with my six siblings (of which I am the oldest and most hated) and I feel like I'm going to explode.

Ellie 08/05/2021 at 2:35 am

Hey all, I'm literally turning 16 in 2 days. I have more adult friends than friends my age (thanks to my parents and me being an only child) and I got my nails done today with 2 of those friends. They're both 21, smoke, vape, drink, everything. They are wonderful people though and friends with my mom. My mom doesn't want me to hang out with them because, and I quote, "They're 22." That's the only reason she can give me. I have a friend that lives in a bad part of town and my mom thinks it's fine for 2 15-year-old girls to walk around at night alone. I can't understand that logic. My parents are so strict, I hide everything from them and lie about insignificant things. I get yelled at for lying though so I just hide in my room and cry most of the time. I've hidden my depression and suicidal thoughts for most of my life and when I decided to bring it up, my mom minimized it. I ended up writing a suicide note later that month and, if she hadn't come outside to yell at me, I wouldn't be here today. I love her and she's a great person but she wants me to be someone I'm not. She tries to choose who I'm friends with. I have to write letters to my boyfriend and lie about them just so I can talk to him. She's known him for his whole life and I've had feelings for him almost as long. She knows I've had feelings for him and my dad even told him to make a move, but no, I can't be "getting close to him." Because he's a bad influence.... She's been in love! She knows that when you find someone you truly care about, you want to be the best version of yourself you can be. I know she loves me and she's just worried about me but I'm old enough to see who's good for me and who's not, regardless of how they act around her. The world isn't perfect, she knows that, and neither are people.

Nik 26/03/2021 at 11:40 am

Im 21 years old now and I already have work. I still cant go out with my boyfriend without my brother going with me. If we have a gathering with my friends they would always ask who I am with and i tried to bring my boyfriend with me but they said no. What would I do in this life. I cant be like this forever. There is no room for me to grow and experience what life really is. Can I have a family? will they still be like this even if i am already married and have kids?

M 20/03/2021 at 7:58 pm

I live with both my parents although my dad is never ever home and my mom never lets me get a break. I’m turning 13 this year and she always compares me two my friends and whenever I try to take a break for a bit she yells and asks why I didn’t finish my homework. My mom expects so much from me and if I get a bad grade it’s suddenly because of my phone, and now just recently she decided I’ve been spending “to much time” on my phone. I literally spend hours studying and doing homework but she doesn’t listen and I’m suddenly never around anymore and I just sit in my room the whole day, SHE IS LITERALLY THE REASON I DONT LEAVE MY ROOM. She can’t even realize when I’m upset or sad and when she does she starts caring for a while then like an hour after she yells at me again. She thinks taking everything away from me is gonna help me with life and she literally says “I will take away everything you like and I don’t care”. At this point I cry myself to sleep thinking I’m not enough.

chris 10/03/2021 at 8:31 am

Im 13 and i have a strict dad, im not allowed to use electronics at home mon - thur and he wonders why im sad and tired, being able to talk to my freinds is a chance to express my self and stay happy i cant even talk to my girlfriend, my bed time is 8:30. i just got a phone and a can use it outside of home but its not allowed at home. There is nothing to do during the week and i am so bored, he tells me to go for a bike ride with the other kids in my neighborough hood but they are not my friends and what am i meant to do, do that every day until im 18, im sick of life it is just soo boring

Felix 03/03/2021 at 8:40 am

My parents are so strict. I do everything and obey their rules, and once i finish all my chores they say im allowed my phone, but then 1 minute later take it back and scream at me for being on it too much. They take everything from me and are the reason im depressed. They emotionally blackmail me, and dont understand that I need to socialise with people on text to feel better. They argue all the time and are massive hypocrites and call me fat when I dont do exercise ONE DAY. I want to run away. Help

Hexwy 24/02/2021 at 3:48 pm

I am 15 and my parents don't allow me to go to sleepovers, because "you have your own bed, it would just look like your homeless and that you got nowhere else to sleep". I have a bed time, it's 10 pm and my phone gets taken off of me at 9 pm. They take my phone and laptop for the stupidest reasons. It's so annoying when I'm feeling down (which happens most of the time) and my mom just comes in my room and takes my phone away. She doesn't understand that I talk to my friends, vent to them, it makes me feel better when I have someone to talk to. Also when I get a bad grade or a grade below C, my mom takes my phone until my grades get better, not even aloud to use it for online lessons. My assignments have to be done perfectly, I have to get ONLY good grades, no exceptions. She always compares me and my brother, he has better grades than me, but I want her to understand that he is diffirent. I get yelled at most of the time, I can't go out with friends, I've been locked in my house for half a year now. I can't do this anymore.

Katya 24/02/2021 at 4:11 am

Hi I’m Katya and I’m 13. My mom doesn’t let me use my iPad or phone after 9:40, she has a deadline at 10:00 pm for showering and if I haven’t showered by then she takes my phone and iPad away and makes me do more chores than I already have which is like 3 on a daily basis, I can only talk to my friends if she allows me to and my mom forced me to get her Face ID for my phone and iPad and she goes through them and when I tell her I don’t want her to go through them she says that I must be hiding something. She uses any chance she has to take my electronics away I’m not even allowed to use my school iPad at times and then my teachers get mad because I didn’t finish my homework but then my mom gets mad at me bc the teachers snitch and my mom says it was my fault. I want to move out so freaking badly

khavita 23/02/2021 at 8:16 pm

My parents are the reason I'm depressed. I'm 16 and I've never been out of my house with friends and I haven't been to a single birthday party. Just today my dad brought up my bed time to 10pm and I'm not allowed on my phone or Ipad after 9pm, but he gets angry whenever I'm on it. Now that we're in lockdown I have no other ways of talking to my friends so I don't know what to do. I cry myself to sleep every day wishing my parents were like my friend's parents. I only got a phone when I turned 14 and other than transport to and from school, I've never been allowed to go out without my parents. I feel like I've lost my teenage years to them. I've never been on a sleepover but it's always been a dream of mine to go on one.

Diane 22/01/2021 at 3:39 am

Strict parents don’t realize the kids they’re raising. We’re such great liars it’s scary but it’s more sad rather than scary. Sad how I can look my parents in the eyes and tell them something completely different without seeming like I’m telling a lie. My parents are Christans and the only reason I chose to get baptized was so my mom would stop comparing me to the girl she knows a hate. I don’t remember my dad all I have is my mom and my stepdad. If I’m asked something no matter what I do my stepdad gets mad. He tells me to answer when he asks something and if I do he gets mad and if I don’t he gets mad. My mom I love her. I love the lady that gave birth to me. But just last week I went to hang out with my friends for the first time in 3 months. My main point that makes me so sad I cry about it sometimes is the number of times I’ve lied to my parents and they didn’t even think twice about it. It breaks my heart that I feel I can’t tell them anything.

d 23/12/2020 at 2:12 pm

Anyone who feels like they want to talk hmm my ig is @d_arlene_

Dan R 08/12/2020 at 10:44 pm

My parents are very strict i am a junior, I cant have my phone in my room and I have a bedtime. I hate the verbal abuse my mom does to me . She acts like grades is my whole life and represents who I am. I hate it and I rather be homeless or broke then live with them

k3nia 08/12/2020 at 9:08 pm

well, I am 16 turning 17, I feel like my parents can't trust me with anything I got to have my door unlocked and opened and give my parents my phone at 9pm and could get it at 8 when school starts. They make mean jokes that to them is funny and when I take it serious and get hurt they say "I am overreacting". Also I could never go out and if I do my mom needs to be there. I also can't be in a relationship even though I am in one and it's hard because I got to lie about my working hours to them. My mom expects me to do everything and I have to do chores while I am in school. They don't believe in depression or in anxiety. I am most of the time in my room without any social activity and it hurts because I can't do anything since my parents are always in my business like the way I dress, the music I listen to or the way I act. I just hope I make enough to pay rent at 18 and move out I am honestly scared of being home and can not stand one more minute being here.

Anu 30/11/2020 at 12:51 am

I am 20 and I always feel fear in my own home.Cause my mom throws a tantrum when ever I have semester exams.she makes hurting jokes and when I take serious about them she acts as her bp has gone too much because of me and she will make all other family members to scold me.Its very difficult to live like this.Daily morning I feel fear to wake up as if I am living in horror home.please suggest me anything on how to live with this horror family.

anahi 26/11/2020 at 12:00 am

i hate my parents so much i feel like they hate me all the time theyre always looking thru my phone as if im hiding something and im not, they make me feel so bad of myself and always expect me to be better and now theyre always saying fat shaming jokes and they hurt me and i usally try my best to not eat but they end getting mad.i hate this life i wanna die.

ShayShay 03/11/2020 at 8:04 pm

I am 17 years old and I just found out that I was pregnant and I told her so now it seem like she making me stay inna house or she won’t let me go nowhere it she won’t let me see or go with my babydaddy and I’m getting tired of it

Austin 01/11/2020 at 1:59 am

I hate my mom and dad whatever my dad says go's i just now got a phone at 15 and i feel left out
i have bipolar disorder which i take medicine for.I play sports every now and then but my parents dont want me to have a social life at all i think.i have threatend with moving out and suicide and at this point i'm on the verge
honestly if i have to be told to do a chore then i'm such a horrible kid my sister is spoiled.I'm not trusted with a knife even though I try to buy one with my own money.I blow up at them sometimes bc they are selfish and put there hobbies before things we like all the time.Please somebody help me and give me advice.

Yissell 30/10/2020 at 9:56 pm

Gosh, I wanna give you all a hug. I'm not gonna explain my whole situation but I'm 16 and if you ever need to vent or need a friend my instagram is @wlyissell

justme 22/10/2020 at 2:59 pm

Wow it makes me sad seeing others passing through the same things. I have a phone, im allowed to use it when I want but my dad randomly checks it. I'm not hiding anything but I know he'll find anything to take my phone away. I'm not allowed to use shorts or tank tops. I live in an apartment complex so my dad makes me wear a sweater because of my neighbors but I don't see the point in it because I don't have any curves. I'm a sophomore in high school and because of corona it ruined my chances of seeing my friends during school. That's the only time I would see them and my dad is glad we're doing school online. does he not understand how much this is affecting me? Before I entered school(kindergarden) I had more freedom because I was allowed to wear shorts/tank tops and hang out with my neighbors but that all changed when I entered school. High school is supposed to be fun , hang out with your friends and stuff like that. what parents are really saying by restricting us is that they dont trust us. I cant even facetime my friends cause I have no privacy, i share a bedroom with my parents(i know right), im not allowed to go to parties(i understand with covid but precorona) he equals it to drunk, drugs, and getting pregnant. Does he really think that low of me? when i grow up i want to be a model and a singer or study psychology just to understand why our parents are like this. I dont have support from my dad of becoming a singer/model cause he doesnt want people to know I exist. I kind of get of where he's getting at because of child predators and stuff but they are so many famous teens my age and nothing has happened to them.

BenCsusza 22/10/2020 at 2:22 pm

So yeah. I am 14 years old, i think i have really strict parents too. Especially when it comes to school grades. So i live in Europe (that means we don't have letters, but numbers for grades, 5 being A, 4 being B, 3 being C, 2 being D, and 1 being F). My parents only accept 5-s, and if i write a 4 (which i think is still a pretty good grade), or something even worse (doesn't happen a lot, i am usually a good student), i get yelled at all the time. They tell me they are dissapointed in me, for a grade that is actually good. They take away my electronics, force me to study for hours and don't let me do social stuff. Like hang out with my friends, invite them over or go to a friends house. They invite me to sleepovers and stuff, but my parents never let me, beacuse they say i don't deserve it. I know my older sister was a perfect student, always being the top of the class, and now being a doctor, but they must understand, that i am different. That doesn't mean i'm bad at school. Not at all. I am just not as good as my sister was. And that is something they can not accept.

Lexi 22/10/2020 at 1:44 pm

i live with my grandma and she is very strict she always wants me to wear what she wants not just that but i am not allowed to wear a shirt that does not go below my waist or below my bottom it honestly sucks. she goes thru my texts. i dont even have my own phone i have to use her extra phone. and im 14!

Metal head 14/10/2020 at 6:53 pm

I can relate to some stuff y’all are saying I’m 15. I have always used the excuse why my moms so strict is because “she’s a social worker” I’m not allowed to have social media,she yells at me all the time I honestly think that she thinks I’m not going anywhere in life,since the pandemic I can’t do nothing till all of my homework is done,yell’s at me all the time,I’m embarrassed that my friends all think that.For example she picked me up at 4 when my other friends did not leave till around 7 because she said “I don’t know them all that well so I don’t trust them with you.plus she yelled and screamed at me today for dropping a newspaper that’s right.since my nickname is metal head that means I like heavy metal music and she thinks that it is devil music granted I’m a Christian to think god my dad sticks up with me for that without my dad I would be screwed.my mom has no idea how I feel the majority of the time and she thinks she knows everything about me when she doesn’t. And I’m tried off her treating me like a dumb kid I hope and pray god opens her eyes and maes her see what my life is like I’m sorry if this doesn’t make any sense to the person reading this I have Sympathy for you if you’re life’s like mine.

jellybeann 14/10/2020 at 4:10 am

yall i pray god makes a way to make this shii better if an of yall wanna contact me my gram is @vvvs_backup

RaRa 30/09/2020 at 12:43 pm

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, having a social life is one the key components of having a balanced lifestyle. my parents do not force me to study long hours or ban be from electronic devices like most strict parents do. instead they do something far more worse, and that is restricting me from meeting up with my friends outside of school grounds. during primary school I made a big mistake and I skipped school without telling them; I believe that's when they started to change. My parents became strict and until this day they still do not trust me to be a young adult and make choices for myself. Now I realised what I did in primary school was stupid and dumb, but that's all part of growing up. We all learn from our mistakes. now I am sixteen almost seventeen and I'm not allowed to even go out with my close friends. Especially with the lockdown It made my life even worse I at least had a social network of friends at school but with school gone I was stuck at home.It has impacted me to the point that I just want to cry into my pillow. HAVING A SOCIAL LIFE IS A NEED!!!!!

Miles 25/09/2020 at 10:53 pm

Tehbot, BRO WE'RE LIKE THE SAME PERSONNN, I hate my parents because I always get one thing wrong and I get punished for a week and I sometimes might get my electronics back on the weekends. We have to be so perfect just to get regular things that other kids get every day. I'm anxious like you too bro.

TehBot 25/09/2020 at 4:46 am

so my school gives us test alot and each week is guaranteed to have atleast 1 test and alot of homeworks and it gets worse during corona pandemic. so as a way to relieve my stress, i would play games after school but only after i did all my homeworks. my parents would limit my game time to 2 hours a day including phone unless its for school purposes and i am only allowed to play games at friday, saturday, and sunday. now imagine that for every mistake you did either oversleep and be late for school or forgetting to do the chores or even getting a bad score they would ban you for playing games and other electronic devices for the whole week and monitor you on wether or not you are using any electronic devices phone or computer for 24/7. i hate my parents very much because i am 15 and i have some problems with my self esteem and i am overly anxious all time and that i am always afraid to make mistakes. i blame my parents for it till now but either way i can't help but feel that either way they are still my parents and that that my mother is the one to gave birth to me and that i would not be able to live comfortably if not for my father.

Jj 23/09/2020 at 1:39 am

Hi

My parents are the same I'm 15 and I don't have a phone only 40 mins on my iPad and I'm not allowed up after 8.30.I'm not even asked to walk around my village!!!!!!

Danae 08/09/2020 at 9:49 pm

I am 15 years old and my mom pressured me into telling her who I like (I never ended up telling her) but eventually she smacked my cheek and I started to cry. In another occasion, my younger brother and I had a pet guinea pig and I take care of it the most, so I went out for about an hour and a half, so I was not able to take care of it. The next day my mom gave it away while me and my brother were in a zoom meeting just so that we wouldn't cry, wine or yell (I even had an instagram account for it, go follow on insta: its.me.maple) And she took away my phone for three months after she saw me holding hands with the guy I like for like 30 seconds. And lastly, she cancelled a 40 day vacation trip to the Bahamas last summer because I got a B on my report card. I dislike my mom very much because she also called my friend fat in front of her family and mine.

J 08/09/2020 at 12:56 pm

I can relate to a lot of the stuff y’all are talking about and it really sucks. If I went on about everything my parents did I’d be here for years. But to sum it up, my family is very dysfunctional and my parents project their childhood trauma onto my siblings and I all the time. I told my dad about my suicide attempt and he started talking about how his childhood was worse. I’m rarely allowed to hang out with friends which has caused me to lose a lot of friendships and it makes me feel lonely to see everyone having fun together on social media while I sit at home. My parents pressured me into getting a job so they can spend less money on me and now that I have one all they do is complain about having to take me to work because I’m 16 and can’t drive by myself yet. They say that I’m selfish because I don’t offer gas money but I already pay for my phone bill and I’ll be paying for half of my braces when I get them in a few weeks, and I pick up small groceries from time to time so I definitely don’t just keep all my money to myself. I also buy hair products for myself that my mom always takes and doesn’t return or wastes. But still nothing is good enough. My dad says he doesn’t want me to move to a college far away because he won’t be able to help me but I know he really just wants me to go to his dream college or one closer to home so he can continue to control me. I only have 2 years left so I’m trying my best to stay strong. I have really good grades so I hope I can get a full ride to somewhere states away, I’m not even picky about the college as long as they have a good psychology program so I can help out kids like us. That way I don’t have to rely on them financially and they can’t hold anything over my head when I’m an adult, or get mad when I don’t communicate with them often. I know everyone in this thread probably isn’t religious, but it’s my first day of the 2020/2021 school year and I wanted to say a prayer and include you guys too. I hope that your situations improve or that you can eventually heal and find peace. Stay strong!

leo 30/08/2020 at 8:08 pm

My parente are quite strict,,, im 14 and i used to not have that much restrictions on my phome and devices last year but as time got on they have started giving me more restrictions which just doesnt make sense to me at all,,, im only allowed to use my phone for 4 hours a day during the summer holidays and and 30 minutes on social media,,,,, im not addicted theres just nothing else for me to do i also do a lot of Hyperfixation which was the cause originally but they dont know nor do they probably even care. Hyperfixation is usially a coping mechanism for pepple with mental health issues but i knlw my parents do not care about mental health whataoever so i serioudly doubt i dont talk to them about these stuff because i know they womt change and my mom also scares me a bit, i just want to leave athis point, im a good student, i get good grades, i domt understand what more they could want. This really comfused and upset me and i dont like thinking about it so i just make myself faint to forget abt it,,,, i dont like doing it and it makes my head hurt but i just cant stand them,,, my mom is just terrible,,, she literally threatens to k1ll me and calls me the devil,, when ive done nothing wrong ??? Is there anything i should do??? I need some advice,,,

Bryan 10/08/2020 at 4:39 am

My parents are soooo strict. They invade my privacy and it feels like I have no freedom. My mom always goes through my texts and deletes them if she doesn't like them without even telling me. They make me go to bed so early at around 10 PM even during the summer when I don't have to wake up for school and I have nothing to do next day. They also are very strict with my sister and always invade her privacy. Like one time she was in the shower and my dad tried to get in and yelled at her for locking the door. And she was in the shower naked. And my mom always goes through her computer and looks at everything. I think the rule should be unless we have done something really bad or whatever, there should be no reason to look through our devices. Smh, I wish I had better parents.

Marie 02/08/2020 at 4:14 pm

I relate to you guys a lot.Theyve made me so depressed in the past I wanted to end my life.But to me I’m quite religious and I kept praying and I decided that I can do it until I’m 18.I hated them so much I started counting to move out when I was just 10.Im now 16 and I still hate it here. I’m quite close with my dad he is more chiller than my mum.He let’s be get stuff and in general it’s easier to convince him to do things.But my mum has mental issues I swear it’s because of her I hate my life so much .And all these stupid people tell me she’s your mother but you don’t know how she’s treated me she treats me so diff compared to my younger brother and sister.i consider her my birth mother nothing more,I’ve tried so hard in the past to be loved by her and get a good relationship I just gave up.One of my birthday candle wishes were to be loved by my mother.It all started because I lived with my grandparents in another country from 6months to 4years so it’s not my fault I’m closer to my grandparents.It was my dads parents and my mum doesn’t get along with them and she hated this idea of me loving him.So when I came she was being nice ish and my grandparents left back to india when I was sleeping so when I woke up they were gone and I was so upset and lost.Then Ofc my stupid mother she abused me physically and emotionally from young age saying “I do it because I love you” ugh I have memories of her dragging me down the stairs when I was just 9/10.She is one cruel being and once I was so depressed I wanted to end my life so bad I decided to write it in a secret diary she found it and got angry at me and then started crying saying taht my grandma fed lies to me when in fact she didn’t say anything I grew up with her treating me like this Ofc I’m not gonna like you.Shes so much nicer to my siblings but yk what idc I have my dad.Sorry ahah I got carried away but I love reading long stories about strict parents To feel good about myself so I thought I might be able to help someone else aswell but yea so I’m not allowed to wear shorts or crop tops ot anything that shows my armpits like off shoulder tops and stuff.I cnat wear tank tops with single straps.Everything I wear has to be below my knee if it’s above I have to wear leggings or very dark tights.Its so unfair and I feel like because I’m chubby I’ve got everything and my parents tell me off for wearing tight stuff because of my body shape.my mother literally said it’s nice if you were skinnier fat people can’t wear that.Like bish shut up.Anyway I’m not allowed to ever go out my mum asked me if I had no shame asking to go to the beach like wtf but my dad on the other hand it’s easy to convince him to let me out but my mum is always home it’s hard.Our wifi gets turned off at 9pm and 10pm in the holidays she expects us to sleep and wake up early no matter if it is the holidays.The reason I am fat is because of her and obviously I do binge occasionally because of the way she makes me feel but also because

vlectus 24/07/2020 at 7:53 am

my parents are too strict. they only let me play a game for 1 hour even in the holiday,, i keep telling my parents all of my friends have phones and I'm just asking for a little thing to increase my video game time ,, but they never will ,, instead I'm always sad and can't ever do my studies.

Nessa 22/07/2020 at 8:56 pm

Im 16 and ive never ever have hung out with my friends. thats why i lost so many friendships not being able to hang outside of school. Both my freshman and sophomore year i didn't go to homecoming. Im not even allowed to go outside my house. And at exactly 10 pm i have to put my phone in my parents room. My mom is always yelling at me for the smallest and dumbest things. She thankfully stopped hitting me around 2-3 years ago, but the verbal, mental, and emotional abuse just keeps coming. And my mom wonders why i am on my phone and computer so much. i cant go out so i have to do something. All she wants me to do is clean, clean, and clean. Shes a cleaning addict. honestly can't wait to leave to my own apartment. Id rather be broke and homeless than stay in this house a minute longer.

Ian 25/06/2020 at 5:20 am

Before I reached puberty, my parents treated me very well, just like many parents do to their only child. Being my social partners and guardians from my rotten primary school teachers. Then once I reached fourteen, everything turns to the opposite. Good thing the high school teachers are nice, but my parents are, I know it's offensive to my race, total CHINNNKS!!!! They always blame problems on me, annoy me with their stupid long babbling and not only they control everything, but they also control my habits. None of the methods are working. I felt like I lost hope and have to deal with it for the rest of my teenhood.

BarbieAri 24/06/2020 at 3:33 am

That is sad I can relate to every single one of you...I'm not gonna write about it because I would take up to like 2 pages...but anyways my parents are just so outta pocket with everything I do...it really sucks...

Charlie 21/06/2020 at 3:50 am

My parents don’t let me hang out with anyone. When I ask why they get mad at me and say “because we don’t want you to”. I can’t leave my house at night bc we have alarms on our doors. I feel trapped like I’m inside of a prison with no way out. I have to pretend I’m happy when I’m in my house but when I’m not in my house I feel so free and happy and I don’t have to pretend anymore. But at the end of the day when I’m sent home and can’t have a sleepover or see my friends, I feel so empty like I’m completely alone.

hh 18/06/2020 at 7:14 am

16 years old, nearly a junior in high school and I can hardly do anything. I cant sleep with my phone in my room, have a screen time limit on my computer, am unable to come out, cant be in my room for more than 10 minutes, cant spend my own money, must get A's or B's (anything below or any missing assignments result in punishment), my opinion doesn't matter, etc. Sure, others have it worse but its still not easy and lately ive felt myself falling into a depression, worse than I ever have before. I'm so overwhelmed and I don't know what to do

Evee 04/06/2020 at 4:33 pm

Hey, I am fifteen years old. I have lived with my Grandparents since I was about a month old, my mother is a drunk as my father is never home.
I have never gotten along with my grandmother at all. And it seems like since my Grandfather passed away a few years ago that we've just been at each other's throats. I'm not allowed to go to my friend's house. Or have them come over, I'm only allowed to wear skirts and long-sleeved shirts and I have absolutely no privacy. I've never been allowed to wear makeup and so much more. I honestly just feel lost because I know that it's for my own safety but my brother always has everything handed to him and he's a married 21-year-old. Even when he lived here be was the precious chi!d who could never do anything wrong. I always got along with our grandfather but now it's only his wife and myself and I'm allowed literally nothing. Only time j leave the house was for school and when she takes me to the store.
I will say that I have had a horrible attitude with her and I try so hard but she just always finds how to get under my skin and we always end up yelling and screaming.
I honestly just don't know what to do anymore

111 03/06/2020 at 4:28 am

for all of you out there that seem to have it pretty bad , like for example getting emotionally abused because of bad grades and stuff like that I would like to say "MOVE OUT ONCE YOU ARE 18" some of y'all are kids in this comment section y'all matter as well but some of you are being childish and It bothers me that you think you have it worse than everybody but sweetheart you are 12 and still a kid , not a teenager when you get to be a teenager and have to go through stuff like this you will feel like its a never ending cycle so just deal with it don't loose sleep over something silly like a phone , whenever it starts affecting your image like when you can't be on time for something important because you took 3h of crying and begging your mother or drive you there thats when its really a rough patch for you .

And for all the 17 16 and even 15 year olds I feel you like I can never get my nails done because I'm not allowed out, never been to a highschool game and always reject people when they ask me out and I have rejected real nice offers like for example Disney or stuff like that and all I have to help me with my situation is God and this phrase "This too shall pass" and I'm a couple hundred days from moving out which i still need the money for because I am not allowed to work but thats all the reassurance I need so far , cry if needed I know you need it sometimes but won't admit it so just take a cold shower with tears rolling down your eyes and feel better because remember this too shall pass (and if you can't cry because your eyes get puffy and Your ~family~ members will be all up in your a$$ then stay in the bathroom for a little after crying so your eyes dry and it seems normal ((and if you can't be in the bathroom for too long then find an outlet because that's what you need)) )

scarlett 28/05/2020 at 5:00 am

i’m 12 and i’ve had a phone since i was about 8 and my mum doesn’t care about what i wear and i wear makeup every day and have never had a screen time or owt and stay up all night but the thing is, i aren’t allowed any where, i’m allowed to walk too and from school by my self and that’s it even though there’s a coop just around the corner and a corner shop at the bottom of the road but i can’t go to either unless my mums there and she’s really embarrassing as well and it’s just not fair ya know cos all my friends can go to the cinema together and go shopping but i don’t even bother asking cos my mum jsut screams at me and then if i bring it up another day she’ll say “we’ve talked about this” but we haven’t talked about it at all she’s jsut shouted at me and my mental healths really bad at the minute and i just want time by myself but i can’t get any cos my mum will insist on being there or i aren’t going and it’s just not fair

Micky 14/05/2020 at 5:53 pm

I feel like my mother hates me. The only person I love is my older sister 11 years old.

hiya 05/05/2020 at 11:13 am

Well my problem isn't as bad as some of these that are on here but ever since I have had a phone, my stepdad and mum have some sort of way to control it. it started with our pact junior and then apple introduced the screen time thing. They set constant limits for it and refuse to let me restrict myself on my phone. They don't give me a chance to learn how to go on my phone as much. i'm worried that when I move out in a few months my screen time is going to be crazy and that they aren't helping me, they just do it for me. They also check my phone whenever they want. They check my bank records and have a go at me for buying food even though when I was at school all I had was a sandwich and wasn't allowed to buy anything from the canteen so I would go to Tesco and buy food to eat. They'll search my room for things which gives me constant anxiety because they find stuff that I don't even remember having. If I go downstairs I'm constantly anxious they'll go in my room and I feel sick.

AsianSR_kid 10/04/2020 at 7:52 pm

Hmm you just try have an Asian parent
You say 1 little thing not even a curse like you just say "shut up" and they go bezekes and start saying random stuff like you have no respect or you should leave the house there Boomers X999 in strictness and old school they give no freedom at all.

AsianSaif 10/04/2020 at 7:49 pm

You think that's hard try have a aisan parent where they are soo strict broo.
They don't give any freedom like no freedom at all they make dissisions for
You.

idk 23/03/2020 at 2:10 pm

I’m 14 my dad is really strict he doesn’t like me going out because he thinks I’ll get raped or assaulted by someone. he doesn’t like me being friends with boys and the idea of a boyfriend to him is outrageous. all of this because I’m a girl. since I’ve turned 14 he’s stopped allowing me to sleepover at some friends houses if they have an older brother. I’m so sick of it I just want to be able to live a normal teenage life like most people. him putting ‘rules’ like this up causes me to lie to him about where I’m going. if he just lets me he’ll at least know where I am, who I’m with

Abby 09/03/2020 at 11:14 am

My parents are way too strict and its so embarrassing the way I get treated like a 10 year old when I am 15.It seems like I forever over my Dads knee getting my bottom smacked really hard,and its for petty things like coming home 15 minutes late on Saturday night.The morning after he called me into the living room and put me over his knee with my nightie pulled up and he smacked my bottom repeatedly really hard which made me cry

Claire.Benton 05/02/2020 at 7:55 pm

My parents are really strict. I never get any money and I basically cannot go out with friends anywhere. I am pressured to get perfect grades or else I get emotionally abused. I can't do the normal teen things like going shopping and wearing makeup and stuff like that. Even my sister who's way older than me can't wear makeup and stuff. I'm scared of the future with them. They constantly crush my dreams. For example, when I wanted to be an actress , they kept telling me that I'm doing it for money and fame( definitely not true) and that I'm not talented enough. They keep pressuring me to go to like a top college but don't they know how hard that is? I feel like I'm trapped and I'm not good enough for anyone.

Maddie 19/11/2019 at 1:35 am

My dad is also very strict. Very stereotypical I know. I am a straight a student and a sophomore in high school. My older sister is a junior. And neither of us have phones. We also can’t watch TV. No we are not Amish, my parents are just crazy strict. They also have punishments such as not letting me eat, and they also cut 12 inches of my hair off. My dad is constantly screaming at me for not being the best softball player on the field. The love they have for me I measured by how I preform on the field. Many people talk to me about how I’m doing but I never know how to respond because once I went to the therapist and talked to them about it and it just got worse at home. I don’t know what to do and if I go to extreme measures such as the police it will ruin this perfect image that my family has and potentially make my life worse. What do I do??

Prince 06/10/2019 at 11:35 pm

I'm over 18 and a male but my parents still treat me like I'm 5 years old....my father is the major problem because he doesn't let me to do anything of my choice. All I do is follow the path of a good boy as he wants me to..he still threatens to beat me up when i express myself. To him I'm still a kid until i get apartment..I spend most of my days emotional,indoors,feeling depressed while wishing my parents understood how their rules are messing with my mental health.

Ify 25/07/2019 at 4:58 pm

My parents are way too overprotective. I didn't really notice this because I went to a boarding school. Now I'm in my first year of university and they treat me like a 5 year old. I have never ever gone out with a friend like ever. I can't even go to the junction by myself. They don't let me do anything.. I wanted to get a job to help the house and my mum overreacted. I really don't know how to handle this. I feel so caged. I'm always home by myself ( my siblings are in boarding schools) . I thought that when I entered school it would change but it didn't because if I want to go anywhere the fear that my parents would be disappointed attacks me.. I really don't want to live like this anymore. My parents will feel I'm rude and will ignore me if I try to give them a compromise. Please I need help.

MK 11/07/2019 at 5:33 pm

So I am almost 18, and I have a really strict dad. He does a lot of things to me and my younger brother, but mostly holds me back. I was playing three sports when i was about to go into high school. He made me pick a sport out of the three. I picked cheerleading over soccer and Volleyball. Which he is still mad about. I had to give up a regular high school, so he could bring up how I am in high school and college at the same time. He keeps mad at me about my grades all the time. He let me have insta and snap, but now he says he never said I could have it. He will not let my date, which he said when I was 13 i could when i was 16. But it is also his way your the highway. So i am not allowed to ask to change the rules. I can not hang out with my friends at their house or at mine. I can not text guys, even if it is for school. I am only now being able to watch PG 13 movies on my own. I am not allowed to drive any where but school and back. I have to be in his line of sight at all times. How can I make my dad see I growing up and need rules that allowed me to do things. Any . would be great. Thank y

abeerkapoor01 20/06/2019 at 11:24 pm

I have a 2 and a half month summer vacation. In England, after you do your GCSEs (a very important exam like SATs in America), you get an extra long break. So after studying hard and relentlessly for the past couple of months, I thought this summer would be my chance to go out with my friends and just enjoy life.

However, following a small argument with my mother, my dad decided that I was too disrespectful to my mom even though all I did was to tell her to stop commenting and insulting me because it hurt my feelings.

My dad concluded that as a consequence, I am not allowed to go out AT ALL and see my friends over the next 2 months!! I am trapped in my house like a slave, who has to obey their commands and cannot express my opinion at all. I plan to move schools after this summer so I might not see my some of my friends again which makes me even more sad and depressed that I cannot go out at all. I don't know what to do. I tried to explain to them a compromise I could make and how this might affect me long term (having no friends as I won't be able to go out with them), but my dad would not understand my point at all and blatantly ignored me. I don't know what to do. Please someone help.

pk 27/05/2019 at 4:14 pm

Ok so my mother, everybody loves her.Every body would naturally want to side with her in an argument. But, she thinks that what she does s perfection. Her expectations are to high. My entire family has really bad ADHD, aand my dad and brother have autism ( both are verbal) . So she blames me for everything, because we cant geget my brother in trouble because he will start screaming and hitting, I have to clean up messes my brother makes, and then if I groan if my mom tells me to clean up his mess, she always says that " You dont do a lick of work here", and then will proceed to take away my phone . Like i mentioned, with myy ADHD i dont pay attention, and i have a habit of leaving stfff out. s0 she is pulling everything out of my room and selling it.P.S, i am 12. and my life is officially over. I am sad most of the time, just because nobody cares., and i have talked to her about it, but she doesnt care

Natasha 01/09/2017 at 1:30 am

My parents are really strick I can't hang with freainds in there house or meet up with them and if I at party they go follow me and every time freainds come over my freainds oh her freainds or family my mom and dad got show off be more strick and bossy and if I have bf I can't go on date unless they both really got get know them even if they get know them she probably make me stay in my house or walk in my street and also I can't walk to the park and my park is small and they judge them by look and my mom and my dad argue and let it out on me and I can't have sleep over in other people house and I can't have freainds earlyer then 6 or 3 and they force me to go karate and I don't want go cuz it take most my time be a teen also if I try to explain what I feel they just yell at me and call me rude name and some how they got hurt me,they hurt my felling and hit me.

Han Editor 07/08/2017 at 2:32 pm

@Blobbfish - if you speak to your friends, you'll find that most teenagers feel this way. There's not much you can do until you're age 18. They are obviously over-protective and you are wanting to spread your wings before you go into adulthood. It's a tricky time and one that I don't want to go through again. I feel for you. Talking to them is the only way to get them to see.

Blobbfish 05/08/2017 at 8:55 pm

My parents are strict AF. Its mostly my dad who's the issue
.They don't let me keep or charge my phone in my room cuz they think i'll watch porn (yeah right..)
.They don't let me go out anywhere alone or with my friends because I might get kidnapped or raped or my friends are some racist weirdos tryna kill me (this includes sleepovers and camping school trips)
If I get one bad grade then I am officially "not their daughter"
if I express my feelings they lash out at me and usually they say if I have anything wrong with me I should come to them.
I lie almost on a weekly basis because I am quite scared of what they do sometimes
I am trapped at home most of the time and if I do something wrong then they emotionally abuse me and make me feel like I'm worthless and treat me like I'm dumb. I feel like I'm crying 24/7

There is a lot more that I wont go into detail in because it just makes me want to cry when I talk about this stuff but how do I get them to change? if they wont trust me till I'm 18? (I'm 13)
I really want to get out but if I try to reason with them, any evidence is useless....
Someone help me.........

Not a white girl 28/04/2017 at 10:28 am

Okay, so I'm 18, but my parents still treats me as if i'm 15. I tried applying for summer jobs because its summer, and when I told them they went crazy. I don't know how to live with them any longer and not go crazy. I feel isolated and alone, and its awful because they should be the people who are supposed to make me feel the opposite and i don saya thing because I never do. Ever.

TeenIssues Editor 02/03/2017 at 10:22 am

I am sorry to hear this. It is difficult to advise as you don't mention the reasons why your parents are strict and whether you have spoken to them or not. In addition to any advice in the article, you could perhaps sit down and try to have a conversation about your situation and how it is making you unhappy. You could start with saying; 'do you know in so many months I'll be 18 and then I am free to make my own decisions about what I do in life'. You could then go on to say; 'All of my life you have sheltered me from the world, but when I am 18 I want to start properly living, can you help me prepare for this?' If you approach it in this manner and ask for their help, then you are passing your parents the responsibility and it could be a process of working together to integrate you into the outside world. If they still refuse, then you have some decisions to make when you are 18 - as then you will be no longer legally under their control and you will be able to decide what level of autonomy you wish to have. I hope this helps and good luck.

Teresa 01/03/2017 at 11:19 am

My parents don't even let me go to school.they homeschool me?!I don't have any friends and getting really depressed. I'm almost 17 yrs old and I've never been to a party, can't have social media, not allowed to sleep over, my parents won't let me watch pg13 movies without researching them? What do you recomend for my parents? I'm really struggling.

Jack 11/01/2017 at 11:20 pm

The best way to defeat parents is to adopt my mentality, if they punish you for acting out of line even when you did nothing wrong by taking stuff away you have less to lose, keep at it until 1 of 2 things happen, they give in and throw the towel away, or they break the law, if they do the latter tell them they are in for it now with the law, if they don't listen, well you've just gotten rid of the problem

Addison25 02/12/2016 at 10:41 am

Hello! I am 15 and I have very strict dad. I am a straight A student, but because he pressures me to be one. Recently I got a C in a math exam and he went all mad on me. I want to tell him some stuff, but because he is short-tempered he will be mad at me. I do want to fix my grade, and even though he knows that I will, he yells at me all the time. I wouldn't call myself disrespectful, I'm just tired of him yelling at me all the time. How do I tell him I don't want to be a perfectionist? How do I tell him that I think a bad grade is ok as long as you try and fix it?

-P 19/06/2016 at 7:56 pm

I'm officially 16 and I've finished school and my gcse's. My dad has a reputation for having a short temper. when someone disagrees with something he said he can get agressive and angry etc. For a treat for doing well this year they took me to zizis. it was a good night my parents said they would get me deadpool on dvd and we will watch it together we got home and watched the film. Deadpool is one of these films you never watch with parents and it's not your typical marvel film. my mum went to bed by the end because she was tired and my dad said the film was "dribble". But I injoyed the film. The next day witch was fathers day I woke up and noticed the film was gone? I than relised they took it onpurpose I searched the house and found the film in my dad's overnight bag I asked them wy it was in there. They got angry that I was snooping around there stuff witch is understandable. Then we got onto the question at hand my mum said the film was inopropiate degrading and unsuitable even tho it is rated 15 and I'm 16 my parents said it should of been a higher rateing and they didnt want me to be exposed to things like this. (even tho ive seen worse). I completely respected there opinion. But they were still angry about the snooping and still overacting about the movie I said "jesus it's just a film" my dad got offended because he's religious my dad said he would "rip my head off" if I said anything like that again. I got quite upset because my dad and his temper and most of all the threat i can take things personally because of my Autism.my mum said it was simply the heat of the moment. I'm still upset because it's common when someone does something that is in upsetting in the present memories of the past of similar actions start to appear in my mind some I still haven't moved on from. my mum said I would get the film back by the end of the summer and I quote shrek "like that's going to happen" so there you go just shows how things can escalate. Furthermore fathers day was normalish and my dad was ok and my parents still have deadpool. what do I do to prevent this from happening also how do I sort this out

Naomi6 03/12/2012 at 11:25 pm

Hello! My name is Naomi, I'm 18 years old in June and it's almost 2 years I'm together with my boyfriend. I come from italy but now I live in a boarding school and at the end of term it's going to be 7 weeks that I don't see him. He asked me to ho on holiday with him & some friends of ours for just 2 days in Barcelona and I really want to go. I am responsible and independent now and this is thanks a lot to the fact that I live here on my own and trust me it's not easy. The point is that my dad firstly he was almost going to say yes but then he decided no to. I really want to find a way to convince him and make him understand that he can't trap me forever in the house just because he is jealous. So please, can someone help me to make him change his mind? Please. Thank you so much! Naomi Ferrari

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