Rant: I Hate My Parents - Academic Success & Childhood Neglect

[arunma]

Oh hey, it's that old thread about people whining that their parents didn't raise them to be super-geniuses. I'd almost forgotten about this thing!

So, does the whining continue?

 

[GeorginaS]

Oh hey, it's that old thread about people whining that their parents didn't raise them to be super-geniuses. I'd almost forgotten about this thing!

So, does the whining continue?

The whining always continues. It's a right of passage.

 

[Math Is Hard]

The whining always continues. It's a right of passage.

Maybe it stops when parenthood begins? The hater becomes the hated?

 

[GeorginaS]

Maybe it stops when parenthood begins? The hater becomes the hated?

Please tell my parents that.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I was raised in a Skinner Box.
I am the perfect child.

Too bad I am an adult now.

 

[General_Sax]

I think it's entirely normal for one to have regrets about their childhood/teenage years. I came from a broken home and experienced poverty first hand, ie, electricity turned off, heat turned off in the winter (we had to sit by the oven cranked up and open). I got involved in drugs at an early age, I first smoked crack @ 14, meth, mushrooms and weed followed. I remember stealing my mom's car with my buddy whilst eating magic mushrooms, it was all fun until we realized we were going the wrong way down a highway! Luckily we pulled to the shoulder and it ended up alright.

I dropped out of high school @ 15, mainly because I kept being robbed, threatened, and whatnot (joy of being white in a poor neighborhood). I started selling weed/hash/mushrooms when I was 17, but it didn't take long to graduate to the hard drugs. By the time I was 18 I was traveling the province (I live in Canada) slanging crack. Later that year I was arrested. I refused to cooperate, and in my youthful ignorance plead guilty, accepting a two year federal sentence.

I spent my late teenage years in penitentiaries facing the same issues that I faced as a younger boy, violence and drugs. By this point I wasn't as easily intimidated, so I handled my situation in prison quite a bit better than I had in high school. Eventually I was released, however I fell into the trap, and was back inside prison walls in less than a year, for a parole violation.

Eventually I straightened out my lifestyle and began working low level labour jobs. I began to realize that I was able to do more with my life, and began adult education.

I started my studies from the grade 10 level, what 15 year olds are studying. No one thought that I would succeed, and they routinely told me that I was wasting my time. Despite the lack of any encouragement I followed my plan.

Now I've attained the prerequisites to enter my local universities engineering program. I'll start studying there in a few weeks.

Moral of the story: few lives begin in an ideal manner, but every day is a new beginning.

 

[lisab]

I think it's entirely normal for one to have regrets about their childhood/teenage years. I came from a broken home and experienced poverty first hand, ie, electricity turned off, heat turned off in the winter (we had to sit by the oven cranked up and open). I got involved in drugs at an early age, I first smoked crack @ 14, meth, mushrooms and weed followed. I remember stealing my mom's car with my buddy whilst eating magic mushrooms, it was all fun until we realized we were going the wrong way down a highway! Luckily we pulled to the shoulder and it ended up alright.

I dropped out of high school @ 15, mainly because I kept being robbed, threatened, and whatnot (joy of being white in a poor neighborhood). I started selling weed/hash/mushrooms when I was 17, but it didn't take long to graduate to the hard drugs. By the time I was 18 I was traveling the province (I live in Canada) slanging crack. Later that year I was arrested. I refused to cooperate, and in my youthful ignorance plead guilty, accepting a two year federal sentence.

I spent my late teenage years in penitentiaries facing the same issues that I faced as a younger boy, violence and drugs. By this point I wasn't as easily intimidated, so I handled my situation in prison quite a bit better than I had in high school. Eventually I was released, however I fell into the trap, and was back inside prison walls in less than a year, for a parole violation.

Eventually I straightened out my lifestyle and began working low level labour jobs. I began to realize that I was able to do more with my life, and began adult education.

I started my studies from the grade 10 level, what 15 year olds are studying. No one thought that I would succeed, and they routinely told me that I was wasting my time. Despite the lack of any encouragement I followed my plan.

Now I've attained the prerequisites to enter my local universities engineering program. I'll start studying there in a few weeks.

Moral of the story: few lives begin in an ideal manner, but every day is a new beginning.

That's really inspiring, GeneralSax. I know how hard you've worked to get where you are...it's not an easy road. I wish you the best of luck...and stick with PF for guidance and help if you need it, of course. And keep us posted !

 

[drizzle]

... Moral of the story: few lives begin in an ideal manner, but every day is a new beginning.

that’s nice, good luck with your courses

 

[Ghost803]

I understood what the kleenex and little violin were in cyrus's post, but anyone care to explain to me what the chunk of charcoal represents?

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Now I've attained the prerequisites to enter my local universities engineering program. I'll start studying there in a few weeks.

And so my joke falls flat. ;-p

Good luck to you Sax. Knock em dead. :-)

 

[jtbell]

The whining always continues. It's a right of passage.

So teenagers have an entitlement to whine?

 

[MATLABdude]

So teenagers have an entitlement to whine?

I believe it may actually be a requirement

 

[WiFO215]

To the OP. I'd be happy if I were in your boots. When I was younger, I was made to go to Carnatic (Indian classical) music classes. That class was a complete disaster. It lasted for 7 years. Although each year the hate for the music only grew, my parents thought that over time, I would begin to like it (and even be good at it!). It's now been 4 years since I quit those classes and I haven't listened to that music since. I can't stand that music at all.

Had I been introduced to math and science in the same way, my life would have been a tad bit different now.

It's not always a good thing that you are introduced to certain things young. Be happy you were free.

 

[GeorginaS]

So teenagers have an entitlement to whine?

It's in the job description.

 

[arunma]

To the OP. I'd be happy if I were in your boots. When I was younger, I was made to go to Carnatic (Indian classical) music classes. That class was a complete disaster. It lasted for 7 years. Although each year the hate for the music only grew, my parents thought that over time, I would begin to like it (and even be good at it!). It's now been 4 years since I quit those classes and I haven't listened to that music since. I can't stand that music at all.

Had I been introduced to math and science in the same way, my life would have been a tad bit different now.

It's not always a good thing that you are introduced to certain things young. Be happy you were free.

Of course there's another side to this as well. My parents were Indian immigrants to America. When I was a kid they didn't put me in any Indian music class, nor were they terribly involved in the Indian community. They didn't even teach me any Indian language. Most of my friends point out that I'm the whitest Indian they know. Don't get me wrong; I think my parents are great, but I do wish I had a nonzero connection to Indian culture. Maybe if your parents hadn't made you do the Carnatic music, you'd have resented that as well. Do give your parents a bit of credit, I'm sure they meant well.

Personally I'm of the opinion that if your parents give you three meals a day and don't make you work to pay any bills, you probably don't have that much to complain about.

 

[WiFO215]

Do give your parents a bit of credit, I'm sure they meant well.

I'm not complaining at all. I'm not even angry at them. I learned few other things in those classes. For example, they held drawing competitions for all the kids there, and I won those contests or came up second or something in most of them. From then on, I was encouraged to draw and develop an artsy side too, which I liked a lot. I'm just trying to tell the OP that just because one is pushed into something when one is young, one might not end up being the next child prodigy in that field.

 

[BioPhysicDino]

WarPhalange,
You have a good head on your shoulders! I especially like, "It's 2 years later and I can play some songs. I'm not good, but I enjoy it. So screw him."

Ehrenfest would do well to adopt your attitude.
Wishing you all the best! --Dino.

 

[WhoWee]

I have 4 kids and 1 of them is usually mad at me about something. I've learned a lot from them, specifically, whatever is wrong is usually either my fault or their mother's fault. Things are much different now, not like back in my day when the world was simple/lame/boring.

However, my all time favorite is that due to Evolution - my children are smarter than me.

So, please go easy on your parents - they're not as evolved as you.

 

[Mk]

Perhaps the OP would be interested in existentialism, or in the simpler concept of responsibility. You parents did not foster your interest in math? That's too bad. Now you can. :)

 

[i<3jc]

i hate my parents as well, today i was walking up the stairs and my 4 year old sister was walking behind me but she want so close, and suddenly she fell down the stairs, my parents started freaking out and yelling at me, cause apparently i caused this. And since the child them saying that she made up that she was holding my hand and i pusher her.. My mother has not stopped talking crap about how if something happens to her she's going to kill me herself and talking her usual crap. i find it discounting how she would do that. i have lost absolutely all my respect for my family and i absolutely hate them all.

 

[turbo]

i hate my parents as well, today i was walking up the stairs and my 4 year old sister was walking behind me but she want so close, and suddenly she fell down the stairs, my parents started freaking out and yelling at me, cause apparently i caused this. And since the child them saying that she made up that she was holding my hand and i pusher her.. My mother has not stopped talking crap about how if something happens to her she's going to kill me herself and talking her usual crap. i find it discounting how she would do that. i have lost absolutely all my respect for my family and i absolutely hate them all.

Dr. Phil might have an opening...

 

[Willowz]

Can I whine too? Oh I forgots, I do it all the time.