“I’m Just Being Real”

“I don’t sugarcoat life for my kids. The world is cruel, people will disappoint you, and if I don’t prepare them for that, someone else will. I tell my daughter not to trust people because they’ll eventually use her. I tell my son that dreams don’t pay bills and that he should stop talking about owning a business because people like us don’t get those opportunities.

I don’t praise them much because I don’t want them becoming arrogant or expecting constant validation. When they’re excited about something, I remind them of everything that could go wrong so they won’t be disappointed. I call it being realistic.

Now my daughter is terrified of making friends because she’s convinced they’ll betray her. My son refuses to apply for scholarships or jobs he really wants because he assumes he’ll be rejected. Neither of them takes risks, and they often tell me, ‘There’s no point in trying.’

Sometimes I wonder why they lack confidence and seem so anxious about life. I gave them the truth. Isn’t that what good parents are supposed to do?”