“What do you wish your parents understood about you?” (The boy’s version from our Houston youth trip)

Sometimes my dad makes deals for me to work that I don’t know about and doesn’t tell me until that day. Let me know ahead of time.

Chill out on the questions. I don’t answer them because I know that will lead to more questions.

Where do you think we get the cussing from? You get to cuss and we don’t.

Sometimes it really is my little brother’s fault.

Please don’t yell out my name at my game.

If I told you I am going to do the thing you asked me to, don’t keep asking me about it.

If I am doing what you asked me to do, don’t interrupt me and tell me I am doing it wrong or how to do it better. Let me figure that out.

I try to tell something to my mom and then she will talk louder than me and over me.

Do what you say you are going to do.

I am not always backtalking,

Sometimes my mom tells me to do something and then my dad tells me to do something else then I get in trouble for not doing the other thing.

I will get in trouble for not doing what my mom asked even though I was doing something for my dad.

I make my own money cutting grass. Sometimes my mom gets it out of my wallet without asking. She uses it for gas and groceries and pays it back. But I wish she would ask before she does it.

Don’t walk in my room without knocking,

It’s my money, let me do what I want with it, even if it is spending it on something stupid. I know it is stupid and wasting my money, but let me learn that.

I used to earn money doing chores, but I couldn’t buy what I wanted to with my own money. Then my mother wonders why I don’t want to do chores.

I bought it with my money. How do you get to take it away?

Don’t sign me up for things and activities without asking me.

My mom keeps signing me up for school without asking. Every year.

Wait until I wake up before you tell me to do something.

My parents will say they told me to do something but they didn’t. Then I get in trouble for not doing it.

My parents will do something and it is okay, but if I do it I get in trouble.