How is it that no matter how old we get, our parents can still get to us with the most innocent (or not!) statements? I'm 35 but I still get that AARRGH!!! feeling like I'm 16 or something!
Here's one example and you all can tell me if I'm nuts: Back when it was time for me to go to college (always a requirement in our house), my dad lost his job and they couldn't really afford to give me any money. That was fine because I'd always been a hard worker and working my way through was not a problem for me. I think they may have given me about $1,000 which I appreciated and put towards college, paying the rest myself (well over $20,000). My siblings went to whatever college they wanted, didn't care that my parents had to sell their house to afford it. Okay, I've moved past that (a whole other thread!).
Well, whenever my mother needs something artistic or creative done she always calls me and tells me that "she put me through art school, after all" and I need to help her. Now, I would never have a problem with helping her if it was put a different way - any other way. For some reason it just goes right through me. Bringing up the reality of the situation would really have no purpose and would only make them feel bad or embarrassed. I usually grit my teeth and help but I leave there frustrated and tense. How do parents have this special ability to say just the thing that drives us the most nuts????
It's silly to blame parents for everything wrong and I'm not whining about "poor me". I'm just wondering if anyone else, despite loving their parents, just feels like screaming sometimes. Can we never get over our teenage frustrations when it comes to our parents?
Here's one example and you all can tell me if I'm nuts: Back when it was time for me to go to college (always a requirement in our house), my dad lost his job and they couldn't really afford to give me any money. That was fine because I'd always been a hard worker and working my way through was not a problem for me. I think they may have given me about $1,000 which I appreciated and put towards college, paying the rest myself (well over $20,000). My siblings went to whatever college they wanted, didn't care that my parents had to sell their house to afford it. Okay, I've moved past that (a whole other thread!).
Well, whenever my mother needs something artistic or creative done she always calls me and tells me that "she put me through art school, after all" and I need to help her. Now, I would never have a problem with helping her if it was put a different way - any other way. For some reason it just goes right through me. Bringing up the reality of the situation would really have no purpose and would only make them feel bad or embarrassed. I usually grit my teeth and help but I leave there frustrated and tense. How do parents have this special ability to say just the thing that drives us the most nuts????
It's silly to blame parents for everything wrong and I'm not whining about "poor me". I'm just wondering if anyone else, despite loving their parents, just feels like screaming sometimes. Can we never get over our teenage frustrations when it comes to our parents?
No wonder we don't visit much. LOL!
