AboutEmily Expertise I can answer almost all teen issues such as self harm, suicide, eating disorders, depression and other mental health disorders, drugs, alcohol, assault, harrassment, family problems, trauma, friendship problems and a lot more, so just ask. Pretty much anything that teens have to face I can answer. I'm also Christian and non-judgmental so I can answer questions relating to religion. I will not judge people about anything.
Experience I've experienced a lot of stuff in my life including facing death in several ways, self-harm, suicide, alcohol, harrassment, family and friendship issues and more. I've had to deal with my dad being sick all my life with MS and cancer, and I've dealt with severe depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. I tried to kill myself more than once and now I want to help other teens who are having trouble.
Education/Credentials In college studying psychology among other subjects. Plus life experience.
Expert: Emily Date: 7/11/2008 Subject: Family Life
Question I'm 15 years old. I have just finished year 11 and I am expecting good average GCSE grades in school. The problem I have is my Mam. I'm now on Summer break and since I don't turn 16 until August I can't get a job.
My Mam understands that I can't get a job. I live in a total different area to all my friends as I live on the other side of town to school and where they all live. I don't know people in my area even though I have lived here for nearly four years. They are all younger than me, and those the same age are into drinking on the streets and drugs. It is not a crowd I want to get into. So I spend a lot of my time at home.
The problem is my Mam. She keeps going on and on at me for being at home. She says I should go out more. I do go out, but only when I have any money to be able to. As I can't get a job I have to ask her for money to go out which she then complains about. So I don't go out with my friends a lot. I have looked for getting a paper round but all the paper rounds are really low paying. So I have no way of getting more money.
So since I am in the house all the time, my Mam keeps going on at me to do something. She is rarely in the house and when she goes out she asks me to do jobs. On an average day I pick my little sister up from school, do the dishes, hang washing up, hoover two rooms and the stairs, look after my little sister at night, take my dogs out, go to the shops. I am perfectly happy doing all these jobs. On the other hand, my Mam keeps telling me that I don't do anything around the house. My older brother has a job, and works on the weekend yet my Mam doesn't ask him to do anything. He just sits around all day.
I'm sick of having nothing to do all day and doing all these jobs for my Mam and getting nothing in return. All she does is go on at me at how I don't do anything. I have asked to be paid for doing things like babysitting, but she tells me no.
What can I do for the next month until I get a job. I don't have the money to go out, I don't have the means to get the money. I want my Mam to stop going on at me to get out of the house and do more work.
Answer Hi Kiersten. Talking to her is the best way around this. Sit her down when she’s not busy and just the two of you have a talk. Explain to her that you find it confusing when she goes on at you about being home all the time when you can’t afford to go out and yet she won’t pay you for the chores you do. Tell her how it makes you feel and that you don’t know what to do. If she’s rude about it then just ask her to please help you out because you don’t know what to do and that it feels like nothing you do is right. Hopefully you’ll be able to work something out. Good luck
