Parents, Perfection, and Pizza: A Teenage Toast to ‘Tough Love’
Let’s dive straight into a spicy Reddit tale, shall we? Buckle up, buttercups, because this one’s a rollercoaster of epic proportions, narrated by none other than your sassy pal, Roger. Our protagonist, a teenage wunderkind with grades soaring higher than my cheekbones after Botox, is grappling with good ol’ immigrant parental expectations. Spoiler alert: the drama’s thicker than my grandma’s lasagna.
The Game That Broke the Parental Camel’s Back
It all kicked off innocuously enough – our straight-A student was done with their homework and indulged in a little recreational gaming. You know, as one does after ensuring they’re the teacher’s pet in every class. Enter Dad, stage right, to deliver a sermon worthy of the Old Testament on the evils of gaming. Apparently, spending a few minutes blasting virtual aliens is what’s standing between junior and a future under a bridge surrounded by empty pizza boxes (though, that sounds like a college dorm to me).
But hold onto your hats, the plot thickens faster than my Aunt Mildred’s gravy. Daddy dearest didn’t stop there. He launched into what can only be described as a soliloquy about some magical unicorn of a student who scored 100% in every subject ever. The audacity! I mean, does that kid even breathe?
The Comparator: A Weapon of Teenage Sass Destruction
Our academic hero, understandably exasperated by this unattainable comparison, decided to throw a comparison of their own into the ring. What transpired was nothing short of verbal fireworks! They pointed out the elephant in the room – dad can’t read or speak English and has foisted the weight of family linguistic prowess onto our protagonist’s already burdened shoulders.
Mind you, this isn’t just a casual translation job. No, no, no. This is a full-blown interpreter gig complete with a barrage of misadventures, middle-men, and at least one dental disaster. Imagine being a teenager and having to explain molar issues to a dentist while your parents are busy arguing over whether dental hygiene is a capitalist conspiracy.
School of Hard Knocks
As if handling the linguistics and healthcare wasn’t enough, this kid has had to figure out pretty much everything on their own. Think of it as a crash course in Adulting 101 – nobody’s teaching this class, darling; you just learn as you go. Need glasses? Better self-diagnose. Dentist phobia? Too bad, figure it out – toothaches be damned. Yet, throughout this chaos, their grades remain impeccable. Seriously, someone give this kid a medal or at the very least, a lifetime supply of their favorite snacks.
Our protagonist’s pièce de résistance, however, was when they told their parents they have no right to lecture about education because – drumroll, please – they dropped out. Mic drop. Class dismissed.
Mom to the (Un)Rescue
Enter Mom, who, rather than applauding the epic truth bomb, insists our protagonist apologize to Dad for hurting his feelings. Oh sweetie, where’s Mom’s lecture on impromptu therapists when you need it?
Mom’s message was clear – apparently, telling the truth is harsh. But let us not forget, the truth is like a chill winter wind; it can be biting, it can be cold, but damn, it clears the air.
Roger’s Razor-Sharp Conclusion
So, who’s the proverbial A-hole? Not our protagonist, that’s for sure. In fact, in the Game of Comparisons, they just played a royal flush. Sure, the delivery was a tad on the nose, but come on – after years of being measured against an ever-elusive standard of perfection, they dished out what they got. And quite frankly, it was about time!
To the fearless soul who penned this tale, I say, you’re a trooper. People often expect kids to climb mountains while they barely manage to stagger over pebbles. Your parents are lucky to have someone like you. You’ve navigated life’s labyrinth with commendable aplomb despite their ‘tough love’ approach frequently resembling a badly produced lifetime movie.
Next time, when you’re handed a one-way ticket to Snark-ville, remember – you’ve earned your resident status. After all, family drama without a dash of sass and a sprinkle of truth is just plain mundane.
And to everyone else reading this, if there’s one takeaway, it’s this: Comparison is the thief of joy. So, stop playing the ridiculous game and get back to doing what you’re amazing at. Or, you know, enjoy a guilt-free gaming session post-homework, like any other straight-A marvel would.
Original story
My parents are immigrants and always compare me to my friends, family, their friends’ kids, and random successful kids they see online.
This all started because my dad saw me playing a game after I was done my homework and gave me a lecture on how I shouldn’t be playing games but I should be studying.
He started complaining about my grades and truthfully I don’t know what my parents are complaining about because I’m a straight A student. I literally got 100% in a class but they don’t care because it’s not math.
My parents act like I’m going to become homeless because I’m not getting 100% in every single class when I have above 90% in every class I take. He started comparing me to some student he read in the paper who actually did get 100% in every class and I got so frustrated.
I told them that compared to my friends’ parents, they can’t speak or read English so I have to do everything for them, including tagging along to every store to buy things for them. All my friends have parents to help them with school if they are stuck yet my parents never completed elementary school.
Because of their ignorance, they refused to take me to a dentist until a few months ago because I was in so much pain. Then they even argued with the dentist on treatment.
I told them how hard it is to be their translator because they always interrupt the other person while speaking to talk to me while I’m trying to listen and then translate. How every representative blows up at me because of their behavior and tells me to shut my parents up.
None of my friends have to deal with that.
I feel like they dumped the responsibility on me to kind of raise myself. I had to figure everything on my own and teach my parents that I needed glasses, needed regular dental care, developed good study habits on my own, and arrive to school on time because they always made me late and my teachers blamed me.
I ended up telling my parents that they don’t get to lecture me on my grades because they dropped out and know nothing about the school system.
My mom told me that I was too harsh and said I needed to apologize to my dad because he was really hurt by what I said but I feel like I told the truth. I know that other kids would never say that to their own parents but they always compare me to my peers to point out all my flaws (like my height and acne lol) when I honestly believe that they’re lucky to have me.
AITA?