Alex's Answer

Hi there and welcome to Ask Alex, 

Thanks for reaching out with your question.  It sounds loke you are going through a tough time now if you feel your parents aren’t respecting your boundaries. 

Having boundaries is good way to feel safe and secure in our relationships with family, friends and peers, so it must feel frustrating if you feel your parents aren’t respecting yours. 

Have you been able to tell your parents how you are feeling?  They may not realise how they are making you feel, or maybe they have reasons for their actions that you are unaware of.  Having a chat with your parents might help with compromise so that you feel respected and that your parents are aware of their actions.  If you feel like you can’t speak to them, you could write them a letter saying how you feel, or even chat to an adult you trust that can help you speak to your parents. 

You could also have a look on our Childline website www.childline.ie/home-and-families/ where there are articles that may give you some ideas or strategies that can support you now – www.childline.ie/how-to-set-boundaries-in-different-areas-of-your-life/ or www.childline.ie/getting-along-with-family/. 

You can also reach out to us here at Childline.  We are available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week and you can contact us on either phone 1800 666666 or web chat at www.childline.ie/ (just click the orange Live chat tab). We would love to hear more about what is going on for you. You can chat about your home situation, or you can chat about anything else, the choice is yours. We can help you look at some options that may be available to you. We are not here to judge you and offer you a safe space to chat. 

Take care of yourself, and please remember that you are not alone, 

Alex