My dad keeps telling me I do not respect him even though i am just saying what i feel! I do not know what to tell him:(
HELP YOURSELF
- It sounds like you have some difficulty with your relationship/communication with your father. Thank you for reaching out to Teen Central for help. It can be difficult to reach out for advice. We hope that the TeenCentral community may offer you the support that you’re looking for!
- You seem very worried about not being able to speak openly with your father. Do you two have any family members, community members, or professionals in your life that can help you to connect with each other and have a conversation?
- You may want to start by keeping a journal of your feelings, or try making a list of the things you’re concerned about. This may help you to organize your thoughts enough to initiate a conversation with your father or another trusted adult.
- Check out the TOOLS page for some resources that may help you to stay calm in this stressful time. You’ll find some yoga poses, deep breathing exercises, and other things to help combat negative feelings. There are also some resources for Relationships on the LEARN tab that may be helpful.
CONSIDER THIS
- It can be frustrating to feel like a parent is not understanding or accepting of your point of view. Have you had a face-to-face conversation with your father about this so that you can both share your feelings in a calm and constructive way?
- Have you ever really tried talked with your dad about both of your definitions of respect and what that includes from both of you.
- What are some creative ways that you could get your feelings across to your father? Perhaps try writing a letter, a song, drawing a picture, or make a video.
- Think about your relationship with your father, and write down all of the positive things you can think of. Try sharing your list with him to help initiate the conversation with positivity? He may not actually truly understand how you feel and perhaps it will help you both.
