It’s expected for tension to rise between teens and their parents every now and then. Mom and Dad might still see them as children, while all they want to do is act like an adult.
But when this teenage girl’s father acted immaturely, she decided the most appropriate way to respond would be with petty revenge. Below, you’ll find the full story that she recently posted on Reddit, as well as some of the replies readers have shared.
Teens often have a hard time getting along with their parents
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But after her father took the liberty of moving her things, this teen decided the best response would be petty revenge
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Image credits: Alena Darmel (not the actual image)
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Kids have an average of 5 arguments with their parents each week
We all know parents and teens tend to have a difficult time getting along. Whether they’re arguing about what time is an appropriate curfew, how much skin they should be showing when going to school, how much money they should be earning for household chores or which friends are a good influence on them, teens and parents have a knack for getting under each other’s skin.
But boys and girls don’t always have the same conflicts with their mother and father. According to Phys.org, girls are almost twice as likely to argue with either parent about their clothes and are more likely to argue with their mom over chores. On the other hand, boys are twice as likely to argue with their moms about politics and more likely to have conflicts with Mom over homework.
In fact, kids have an average of 5 arguments a week with their parents between the ages of 2 and 18, amounting to about 4,200 arguments while growing up, the New York Post reports. These disputes tend to last about 14 minutes, and parents believe that they “win” over 60% of them.
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It’s important for parents to give their children a healthy amount of privacy
The most common issues that cause fights between kids and their parents are chores, messy bedrooms, not cleaning up shared spaces, doing homework, bedtime, spending too much time on phones/computers, arguing with siblings, brushing teeth, watching too much TV and not eating healthy food.
While parents may feel that they’re entitled to their children’s possessions as much as their kids are (“my house, my rules”), it can actually be very beneficial for teens to have privacy from their parents. Verywell Family explains that privacy is important for teens to have autonomy and to help them understand that their parents trust them. And according to Angela Lamson, PhD, LMFT, this privacy should go beyond social interactions and extend to their bedrooms, their bodies and their possessions.
Allowing teens a healthy amount of privacy and space allows them to develop their interests, respects their modesty, allows them to gain confidence and actually creates fewer conflicts. Teens don’t usually respond well to having their privacy invaded, so as hard as it may be, it’s best for parents to accept that they cannot control every single aspect of their kids’ lives.
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As kids grow up, parents must understand that they can’t control every aspect of their lives
Raising Children recommends that parents avoid looking through their children’s things without asking, reading their diaries or messages between friends, communicating with them on social media if they don’t want you to, calling to check in on them all the time and listening in on their phone conversations.
Instead, it’s wise to stay connected with your child by actively listening to them, being aware of their behavior and how they’re feeling, keeping an eye on their progress in school, getting to know their friends and making space for them to hang out in your home. And of course, resisting the urge to break your child’s trust or invade their privacy. Raising Children notes that if you need to know information from your kid, it’s best to ask them directly (“Where are you going?”), rather than snooping around to find out.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Do you think this teen was right to get petty revenge on her father? Then, if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article discussing petty revenge, we recommend reading this piece next!
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Readers shared their thoughts on the teen’s revenge, and she joined in on the conversation to share more details
