AITA for Telling My Parents They Don’t Celebrate My Achievements and It Feels Like They Aren’t Proud of Me?
Oh darlings, gather ’round because Roger has a juicy tale to spill straight from the treasure trove of Reddit’s AITA. Prepare those napkins to catch the tea about a young, sharp-tongued debater who just might have torpedoed her family’s dinner conversation with nothing but the blazing truth. Grab your popcorn; this one’s gonna get spicy!
The Debater: A Rising Star
Meet our heroine, a 15-year-old debating prodigy who’s been slaying the competition left, right, and center. Her team has overcome 50 other squads, fought fierce intellectual battles, and has now landed themselves in the finals, which will take place in none other than Parliament. Yes, you heard that correctly, the same room where prime ministers are made and monumental decisions inked. If that’s not boss-level achievement, I don’t know what is!
Parental Support or the Lack Thereof
But here comes the plot twist: Our heroine rushes home with a heart brimming with pride and excitement to share the grand news with her parents. And their response? The driest, most deflating ‘cool’ this side of the Sahara Desert. Meanwhile, she watches in disbelief as her older brother gets showered in accolades for completing a compulsory PE assignment. Oh, the injustice!
We learn that this isn’t a one-off situation. No, this is an agonizing trend that has left our young debater feeling like a background character in the movie of her own life. As the scales finally tip too far, she gathers the courage to speak up, pointing out how her achievements are sidelined and overshadowed by the trivial feats of her sibling. And what do you know? Her parents weren’t exactly receptive to this home truth.
Backlash and Silence
Ladies and gentlemen, let me paint you a picture: The moment she finished speaking, the air grew thick with tension. Her parents, stunned and offended, accuse her of disrespect. Boom! Their minds shut tighter than a clam at low tide, and they go radio silent on her. Now, they’re not speaking to her at all— and we all know the deafening roll of parental silence echoes louder than any argument ever could.
Our spirited teen is now grappling with guilt and confusion. She craves appreciation and respect, but wonders if her delivery eclipsed her message. It’s classic Reddit AITA material—a tale as old as time. But, hang tight, readers, Roger’s not done yet!
Roger’s Gold-Plated Opinion
Alright, bring in the trumpets because here comes my two cents, generously delivered on a platinum platter:
Kiddo, you’re NTA (Not The Asshole) here. Let’s be real—parents should be podium-worthy cheerleaders, pom-poms and all, for their children’s genuine achievements. Your frustration is absolutely valid. Anyone who has ever accomplished something significant only to witness others given accolades for bare-minimum tasks knows the sting of casual dismissal.
Still, dear readers, you must understand that parents are flawed creatures. Sometimes, they channel their inner-goldfish and get stuck in a loop, praising one child so profusely they forget the societal equivalent of curing cancer set before them. It may not be from a place of malice, but rather, obliviousness.
If anyone’s asking for advice (and I know you are, honeys), I’d recommend she take a masterclass in “Parent as Public Relations.” Spell out what celebrating an achievement looks like. Maybe they failed to realize that ‘cool’ will never move mountains.
But honey, press on. Acknowledge your own worth, celebrate your wins. Seek mentors, friends, and even teacher allies who can raise the roof on your incredible feats. Your parents’ll catch up eventually or gnaw their nails when your spotlight’s brighter than theirs ever was.
So in the arena of public opinion and my undeniable expertise, you, my fiery debater, are far from being ‘the asshole.’ Bask in your accomplishments and keep slaying—it’s their loss if they don’t jump on your magnificence train.
Cheers and keep shining, Roger
Original story
I (15f) have been doing debating for my school this year. We beat out 50 teams and managed to get into quarter finals, and then the semi finals.
Today we had the semi finals. It went for 1.
5 hours and it was a really good debate. Fortunately, my team managed to come out on top.
Now, we are in the finals, and we’ve been told it is going to be held at Parliament. We’re going to be debating in the Debate Chamber, where elections are held and decisions are made.
This is one of, if not my greatest, achievement.
I came home to tell my parents, and they said “cool.” And then started talking to my older brother about how he did his PE assignment, and how proud they are of him.
He did a compulsory assignment and he gets all the praise in the world. I get to debate in the same place our prime minister is decided, and I get a “cool.
” I’ve only been debating for 6 months, as has my whole team. We’ve beat 50 teams and have accomplished a huge thing and my parents don’t care.
So I said so. I told them they don’t value my achievements and my brother is always praised for things that don’t need praising.
They got mad at me for ‘disrespecting’ them and now won’t talk to me. I feel like I just want to be appreciated and no matter how many times I’ve told them that, they just don’t care.
AITA?