Alex's Answer
I had a really bad day with my dad
Your Question
My dad and I are having a really bad day it started when my friend wore his shoes upstairs and I burped at the table he made me wash up because of it. But I told him I’d do it after rugby training but it turned out to be a hard session and now here I am having a shit day and I want to end the day positively but I’m sure dad won’t cooperate”
Answer
Hi there,
Thanks for getting in touch with the ask Alex service, we’re glad you were able to reach out to us with your question today.
From what you’ve said it seems like you’ve had a tough day with your Dad as there were a few things that happened throughout the day that you didn’t see eye-to-eye on. It’s understandable that this may have been difficult for you as it sounds like these were things that were done unintentionally and you feel that you are now left with the consequences. Relationships between parents and young people can be complex at times as parents may have expectations and boundaries in place that they feel are right and necessary for raising their young people, and understandably, teenagers or young people may disagree with these rules or how they’re communicated. This can be a challenge to navigate between young people and their parents who may otherwise get along with each other.
Have you thought about addressing this with your Dad when things have calmed down between you? It sounds like maybe a clear and honest conversation between you may help to resolve any tension on either side. Also, it may give you a chance to explain your thoughts and feelings around your Dad’s expectations if you have a busy lifestyle and schedule and perhaps coming up with a compromise that you both agree with. Alternatively, if you feel that talking to your Dad is not an option for you right now, maybe talking to another trusted adult in your life could be an idea? This could be another family member such as a grandparent, aunt/uncle or anyone in your life who you feel comfortable talking to. As well as this, the Childline website has lots of articles on families which you may find helpful. Here is one of those www.childline.ie/how-to-manage-family-relationships/
Please know that you can also contact Childline through our web chat (the orange Live Chat tab) at www.childline.ie or by giving us a call on 1800 66 66 66 if you’d like to chat more about this topic or anything else that is on your mind. Childline is here for you anytime as we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is a free and confidential service. We are non-judgemental, and we will not tell you what to do, instead we can help you explore what options may be available to you.
We hope that you find at least some of the information above helpful and we would like to thank you for your question.
Take care,
Alex