I've written about many issues before, but a personal one that has always stayed with me is the immense pressure, conflict, and expectations from my parents that make me truly hate them. I'm not saying this as an immature young person, but as an adult who knows I will feel this way for decades to come. In this, the final article of the series, I want to discuss something that is most personal to me.
In my society, parents are inherently seen as gods, a narrative supported by traditional scriptures and pushed by adults themselves. Yet, there's something many adults acknowledge but youths never get to express: parents can be truly, truly terrible. Parenting is a big deal, but in my society, it's often viewed as an investment. Parents will guilt-trip and pressure their children to fulfill their own greed and vanity, to hide their own failures. They haven't found happiness within themselves, and now many turn into control freaks, ruining lives, causing harm, and even disrespecting human rights. Society is filled with this conditioning, making parents feel like they own their children just as they own their cars.
These unhappy people pass their unhappiness on to their children, fostering unwanted competition and jealousy. I can't even bring myself to consider them "parents." Simply because you reproduced and gave birth doesn't make you the owner of a child, and it certainly doesn't make you a parent.
My parents, especially, have never valued my opinions—only everyone else's. And that's precisely why, in my eyes, they aren't parents but rather people who want to exploit me for their own needs.
Another thing that truly gets on my nerves is this: Why do mentally and emotionally unhealthy people decide to have children? If you are pregnant and you aren't ready, please, do the child a favor and consider giving the child up for adoption or even abortion.
If you are struggling with parents who don’t listen to you, who don’t hear your interests or respect your needs, let me tell you this: they may have given birth to you, but that doesn't make them your parents. To be a parent, you have to learn about kindness and love—not vanity or unhealthy expectations. Even educated parents can offer the worst treatment, proving that being a parent isn't just about providing food, shelter, and clothes. Where many "parents" here believe that once they've provided these things, they can use their child however they wish.
In conclusion, I want people to know that it is better not to give birth than to ruin a human being. And to all the children out there: please don’t worry. Be smart and choose what you want to do. You can try to turn them into a parent, but it is not your responsibility to.
