friends, I need your help. I feel like I don't fit in my own family. They are very judgmental and discouraging. They don't except my beliefs and the way I am. I am fine with them not agreeing with my ideas but they sometimes make jokes and laugh about me. For example, i like growing my hair, I don't shave, and they thinks its gross and funny. I just feel like my family should except my ways. What do I do!?
Thanks. Being that is your age, the harsh truth is you are best to try to stick it out until you finish your education and can then support yourself. If their biggest gripe is hair and beard then perhaps you can compromise for the time being. Something like cut your hair a little and still keep the beard. To be honest sometimes at 17 we are not always reasonable and the flip side is parents can be a little harsh as well. The best thing is to become self sufficient and the easiest way to achieve that is to stay with them and finish off what you need to and the move on and live life the way you wish to. Hope that things improve.
well I don't have an issue with having a beard because I'm a lovely lady but does that really change any of your great advise?
Nope and don't shave if you do not wish to. Seriously sexist of me to assume when you said that it meant a beard, my apology.
Heat gave you some really good advice. I think you should just ignore them. When they pick on you, make jokes, laugh at you just flat out ignore the laughs and jokes. They laugh at you and make fun because they are insecure with themselves and they could never stand to not shave because they are worried about what other people might think. You are 17, you are almost at the age where you can get your own place, and be self sufficient. Even then, they might laugh at you but just ignore them and remember they are laughing at you because they are insecure and they need to feel good about themselves. And also, i thought it meant a beard too when i first read it.. Sorry.
You can never be sure that you can change someones mind, even if your point is completely reasonable and theirs is not. What you can do is live your own life with conviction, and offer to help them see your point of view when they are ready. You may be able to find that peace while still living at home, or you may have to move out to find it, I don't know. The best thing you can do is be confident in your own world view. Not that yours is right and theirs's is wrong, but both are equally right, and equally wrong. I say that, and as you get older you'll figure out that nobody has the world figured out, and everybody's winging it.
