Why It’s Okay To Ignore Your Parents’ Advice

For most of us, the biggest motivators in our lives are our parents. They’ve been around since day one and most of the time, they’ve been the ones who have stuck by us no matter what. We usually have a lot to thank our parents for (love ya mum) but, at the same time, they can also be a massive stressor.

I remember when my mum freaked out when I told her I wanted to study journalism in Year 9. ‘There’s no jobs in journalism!’ she told me. I have friends whose parents controlled their social life during their senior years at school, only letting them leave the house once they’d ripped their hair out from the amount of intense studying they’d done. I have friends whose entire lives have revolved around the idea of what their parents wanted them to do after high school.

Nobody tells you how mentally draining it can be to juggle the expectations of the people around you- especially if you’re being pushed into something you have no passion for.

It seems like such a typical story nowadays: a student finishes high school, starts studying something they don’t give a shit about because they feel like they should go down that path and eventually realises they hate what they’re doing. Then, they have an epiphany (although, sometimes they don’t), change paths and finally start pursing something they actually enjoy.

It’s time to cut out the middle man; stop letting other people tell you what’s going to make your happy. While your parents/friends/teachers may have your best interests at heart, you know yourself better than anyone. At the end of the day, it’s your life, not theirs.

It’s also important to avoid getting caught up in the stereotypes surrounding certain jobs. Doing a trade is a super valuable and viable career path, but it seems to cop a lot of flak when you compare it to pathways like uni. Same goes for creative industries which are usually written off as a waste of time.

Ambition is something that will always pull you over the line, regardless of whether your parents approve.

I learnt all this the hard way.

I went to uni because I felt like that’s what I had to do, did my stint and dropped out before eventually finding a gig doing something I love.

Would I be doing this right now if I had ignored my mums advice? Who knows, maybe not.

But what I do know is there would have been a lot less stress if I hadn’t constantly felt like I was letting my family down if I didn’t follow their advice to the letter.

At the end of the day, what I’m trying to say is it’s okay to decide to try and do something that goes against what everyone is telling you to do. It’s okay to study what you want or drop out of uni. It’s okay to completely ignore the advice of your ‘rents.

Doing your own thing is the only way you’re going to learn what makes your happy and that’s what’s most important.