ENLIGHTMENT:
I WROTE THIS WHEN I WAS ANNOYED IN 2014 BUT STILL APPLIES TO ALL TEENAGERS.
Teenagers. Are. Horrible.
Was I horrible as a teen? Probably.
Their attitude, the way they walk, the way they talk to people, the apparent "unfairness" about things in life, the constant wasting of food like money appears in thin air - no sense of value in money.
Is it the parents fault? Or the older sibling's duty to make sure they don't end up like this?
Or are they programmed to be like this?
You warn them about strangers, staying out late, friends and "older" boys but they brush you off like a piece of dirt under their newly bought AirMaxs. And then the inevitable happens? You burst out crying about a situation that we warned you about? No. Had enough. The only way you will learn is to experience it.
Having a 13-year-old sister is hard. Really hard.
We tell her not to wear make-up because it clogs up your skin and makes your skin shit in the future.
But you never listen.
Now you have what I like to call 'make-up spots' - where a cluster of bumps gather on your skin (mainly on forehead and cheeks) due to the amount of crap your face has to deal with. And the only way to hide those spots is with more make-up. A nasty cycle.
We tell her not to wear skimpy clothes and high heels because she is 13 and therefore it would be inappropriate for her to be looked at.
She says she forgets she's really young and thinks she's 16. But no, you are not.
You are what we class as 'jailbait'.
I feel sorry for the man who will look at you thinking you are 18, when in fact you are way below the legal age - and then he will feel dirty and get backlash for looking at you, even though this information was not presented to him. But I will still stare him down - it's protective instincts.
You are not 18 yet. Get a grip.
We tell her to help out around the house. Her face drops. It's like we have asked her to do the most cruelest job around. Why? We all had to do jobs in order to get pocket money. She gets annoyed when we shout as if she's done nothing wrong. Don't pull a strop young lady - we're only asking for your help.
We tell her not to drop her new phone. She drops it without care. It previously belonged to my dad, no scratches. She has it, covered in it. She drops it like she has a new phone on the way. No, you don't. I don't know whether this is our fault, we spoil her and now she doesn't know how precious money is. Teenagers know they have to earn what they want but they want it given at the same time.
We warn her about so-called friends she has, saying that they can be bitches and are not what they seem. She ignores us. Insisting that she knows them very well and that they wouldn't do that. Are you sure? You have two generations telling you what we know from experience and yet you brush us off like we don't know anything? Mate, open your eyes. We can foresee the future.
We warn her not to do something, but then you do it. We take your phone away, your internet and ground you from going out. You feel like we're taking your life away. We're not. It's discipline. You're only 13. Your life doesn't stop at 13.
We tell you that you are beautiful the way you are and that you should be proud of your heritage.
But you always keep wishing for things.
Wishing you were American.
Wishing you had an American accent.
Wishing you were taller.
Wishing you were thinner.
Wishing you were older.
Wishing you had nicer teeth.
Wishing you were more Asian.
Wishing you could speak Korean.
Wishing you were Korean.
How do you think that affects us? Are you not proud of being Chinese? Don't you think Chinese is a beautiful language too? For God's sake, you're only 13! Some of things you wish for will fall into place as you grow, but all I hear is moan, moan, moan. Is life that unfair to you right now? Things teenagers wish for can be shallow.
I feel frustrated and fed up all the time with her behaviour.
Our grandfather came to England to earn money and to provide a better life for his family.
He worked very hard. He opened up the takeaway in 1975 and it has been our life since. We have worked here to build up a work ethic and money to get out of this sort of business. Do you want to work at the takeaway forever? The answer is no. Don't take things for granted.
This doesn't just apply to my sister. This will apply to all teenagers.
Parents and relatives will teach teenagers morals and life lessons, for them to get the automatic, "Whatever". Teenagers will go through similar situations like the ones I have given up until they are 18/19, which is when they either go to university or get a job. The realisation will hit them that their family have been only protecting and guiding them through life, even though it may seem like constant nagging.
I love my sister dearly. Even though there is an eight year age gap, I treat her like my best friend.
She asks a question, I tell her the truth. No sugar coating.
She wishes for things? I reassure her that her time will come or that she should be proud of how she is. But that reassurance is never enough to make them feel content at that age because it doesn't seem believable.
Being 18 seems like light-years away but it will come like tomorrow.
