As minors, parents have a lot of control over our lives, socially, educationally, and much more. Often times, as teenagers, we feel pressured to do what will please our parents instead of what will please ourselves. Now, I am not saying that we should not care what our parents have to say or what they think, but I do think that it is important to learn how to find a balance between what is right for yourself and what parents will approve of. After all, in a few short years we will be adults and on our own.

For example, in my family, going to the University of Tennessee located in Knoxville, Tennessee, runs in the family. My parents both graduated from there, as did aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. It is expected for people in the family to at least apply there for college. Whether you actually decide to attend there is completely up to you, but you definitely feel pressured to attend UT if you get accepted. I find that often times children and teenagers are pressured into attending a certain school or getting certain scholarships by their family. Not only that, but also being pressured into careers. If you come from a family with a large number of doctors in it, you are expected to go into the medical field in some way. Same goes for other careers, and especially family businesses. My grandfather used to own a furniture store, and when he retired he wanted either my mom or my aunt to take over. Neither of them were able to, but there was pressure for them. I think it is good for parents to have a role in their child’s school and work career, but they also need to recognize that what they may want for their child might not be what is best for them, and that is okay.