Families in chaos

I am more and more burdened for families and the lack of commitment that parents have towards their children. As I talk with teens I am made more and more aware of the break down in basic communication.


I want to share some of the things they have said to me over the last week:

• My dad smokes weed every day, drinks 24 beer each night, and is a chain smoker. I know that the reason he does this is because he is shy and doesn't have many friends. He is my best friend and someone I can talk to about anything. He is always there for me. Later in the conversation this teen said: two weeks ago I did something that upset my dad, and he dropped me as his friend on facebook.
• I find it so hard to talk to my parents, but last night I thought I would try again. I told my dad that I really wanted to talk with him but I felt like he never listened or had time for me. After a few minutes I asked my dad what he thought and he said "I didn't hear what you were saying". This proved it. I am about ready to stop talking with my dad.
• It doesn't matter what I do, my mother is so hard to live with. She demands so much out of me, and yet she doesn't do any of the things she asks me to do. I try to talk in a normal way with my mom but she always yells at me. Then she goes and sits in the car and says she wants to die. I don't want her to die, but I can't keep living this way with her.
• I have talked to my mom and dad so many times about the way they treat me and how much it hurts me to hear them screaming all the time. Most of the time they are screaming at each other about nothing. Then if one of them leaves the room they start screaming at me. I can't handle living with them, I never want to be home.
• My mother calls me a whore
• My parents don't think I am capable of making any good decisions. They tell me how stupid I am. They tell me to grow up. How can I grow up if every time I try to do something they interfere and then tell me how stupid I am.
• My mother told me it was OK to have fun in the basement with my friends for my 18th birthday. She even went out and bought me two cases of beer to celebrate. I trust my mom!

All of these conversations represent different teens I have talked to this week. There is so much more I could have written.

Thoughts...