Growing up with strict parents, how hard can it be?

How to be sneaky, in other words.

Life is hard, but having to live with strict parents is way harder.

Some parents believe that by being strict they are keeping their kids safe, that is 100% wrong, and here is why. When you have strict parents, you always try to do what you want, anyway would do the trick, even if it’s dangerous. Let me give you an example.

X lives in a two-floor house. His parents told him not to go out, but he already made plans with Y to go to a party. X sneaks out of his bedroom window. He could have broken a bone, but luckily he didn’t. He finds Y waiting for him down the road; he gets in the car and to the party; they go. X starts drinking the moment he sets foot in the house; he gets too drunk; he gets into a fight, he could have gotten injured, but didn’t. The police could’ve stopped the party, but they didn’t. On his way back home, Y drives recklessly because he’s drunk too, they could have gotten into a terrible car accident, or they could have gotten arrested for driving under the influence, all of this happens while X’s parents think he is in bed, sleeping like an angel.

I will blame the parents for sure, having a kid afraid of you is the worst thing a parent can have, your kids need to trust you and you need to trust them.

Now let’s imagine the same scenario, but without the strict parents.

X goes out through the door, avoiding an injury, his friend is waiting for him in the driveway, his parents are fully aware of his whereabouts. When he gets too drunk, he calls his parents to pick them up because that’s what they told him to do; he arrives home safely, and he sleeps like an angel.

I will not blame the kids for being sneaky. We all know that when you squeeze something too much, it explodes.

Now back to me (the queen), my dad was super strict in my teenage years, I grew up lying to him whenever I wanted to go out with friends because I knew he would say no for no reason at all; I lied a LOT. Do I regret it? Absolutely not! I would not spend my teens at home when everybody else was out having a blast.

Now that I’m older, my dad is still strict, but I had a talk with him and explain to him how I’m old enough to make my own decisions and he accepted it (surprisingly). However, I don’t lie to him because I’m anything but a liar (anymore).

What did I learn from this? Nothing but how to be sneaky and how I can use having strict parents to get out of plans :).

In conclusion, trust your kids so they can trust you back, they will learn better if they make their own mistakes. We can’t be adults with no teenage expertise.