- “‘Communication is a two-way street’: Author bridges gap between teens and parents” from The Lake County News-Sun, written by Frank Abderholden.
[T]he two were having a heart-to-heart talk when he said, “There is something I’ve wanted to know since I was 12 or 13 years old. You’ve done everything for me, solved everything for me, but why can’t you make Dad love me.“
She was stunned.
“I told him, ‘You know your Dad loves you, people have different ways of showing love,’” the Antioch resident said, explaining they had been divorced for awhile when her son hit her with the question.
“It haunted me for a long time,” she said.
A major problem of contemporary parenting is that children feel they can’t tell their parents certain things because they might not be seen as acceptable by their parents, which might lead to punishment or something else. And it’s quite possible for parents to do so if they feel like it, so–unlike what the article says–it isn’t just a communication issue: if your parents disapprove of something you do or are, they can do what they think will stop you or change you — even if not approved by the general public.
There isn’t too much else to say for this, but here are a few excerpts from the book:
“I am not as mature as I think I am or tell you that I am. And I hate to admit that,” Katie, 16.
“Remember our cat Bruce? He didn’t run away. I sold him,” Heather, 15.
“I’ve tried drugs and it’s scary. Although I never want to try drugs again, I couldn’t tell you that I’ve tried them because then the lectures would start,” Jenna, 16.
“Why do you criticize me even though I’ve tried my best,” Tami, 14.
“I forgive you. Why can’t you forgive me?” Sharon, 17.
