unsupportive Parents

I feel like I complain a lot about my parents, and I'm not sure if I should feel guilty about it or if I have the right to. They aren't the best, but then again, 'perfect parents' don't exist, right? I just wish they were more...caring, in a way.

They fulfil me and my siblings' basic needs; food, clothing, shelter - that's all good. Materialistically, we are well provided. We are definitely not a rich family, but we can afford good stuff, thankfully. I'd say that their physical aspect of parenting is not bad. It's the mental and emotional aspect that I absolutely hate.

I always feel guilty about saying it, but they are emotionally abusive. Not a 24/7 thing, but very often they are. I hope I never turn out the way they are, when it comes to parenting. They dismiss my feelings constantly, and quite often treat me like a servant-robot-or-something rather than their child that needs affection and support. It's always things like "Is this how you pay me back? After I looked after you all these years?"

I didn't ASK to be born! I don't understand why they make me feel like I owe them everything. Yes, they took care of me well but THAT'S YOUR JOB! Parents DECIDE to be parents! But the amount of times they make me feel like crap are countless. Unfortunately, my mum and dad insult us, as if words don't hurt. It's more so my father than my mother, calling us "idiots" that "can't do anything right" and all that.

They never tend to my emotional needs- EVER. I don't remember a time when they actually helped me feel better. I only remember them making me feel worse. They don't care how I feel nowadays; they never ask. They scold me if they catch me looking miserable or angry and tell me to wipe that look off my face and be grateful.

The truth is, I'm very afraid of them. I'm scared to talk to them about anything deep because any previous confrontations involved raised voices and scolding. But I wish that they could at least make an EFFORT to understand me, before assuming the worst. At least let me explain my feelings or whatever, instead of using the 'I'm the parent, so I'm always right' card. No one can be right all the time!

I wish they could understand the things I enjoy doing and not make fun of me for it, or tell me it's not suitable for my age or something. From what I know, being 16 is not an easy age, especially in this day and age. Why won't they just accept that things are different now? Things are not like 30 years ago, not like their country. Change is inevitable, but they don't like it. They don't seem to believe in mental health, let alone care about it. They don't understand that I'm a human too, not a servant that needs to be watched 24/7, as if I'm a criminal or something. I have feelings! And thoughts! They assume I'm still really young when I'm not.

They're always so surprised when I tell them I don't enjoy certain things anymore. It's like they don't realise I'm growing up, yet they push all this pressure on me to become the 'third parent' of the family, wanting me to do all that they do, whilst tend to my own extremely difficult schoolwork. If I ever say I was stressed, they'd shout, insult and ignore me. If I ever say I was feeling sadder than usual, they'd brush it off and tell me to stop being dramatic.

I hate it and I wish they'd change.