Is it normal to have parents interfering with career choices at 22?

Question

'You have responsibility to the rest of the world and to us as your parents'

She's been in Full Time Education since she was 4.

Answer 1

Yes it can be normal for over the top parents to want to control every aspect of their child's life even after they get out of college or while they are in college. She needs to distance herself from them (a great distance) My parents were trying to control me after college and I moved 1200 miles away from them. It helped.

Answer 2

I think it's normal but it is incredibly aggravating. I know my parents had my best interests at heart (in hindsight) but back then I wanted them to butt out. Thing is, they forget that they made a few missteps along the way that their parents probably disagreed with. Everyone needs the freedom to make decisions got for their own path and even make their own mistakes.

It's like when parents get mad when you're a little kid because they're just trying to stop you from getting hurt. But career choices aren't like running out into the street or drinking poison. That's what parents have to understand. Career choices are ever-changing and it's not like you're locking yourself into a life-long decision that you can't get out of. Heck, I dropped out of college at 22, made multiple job changes, then went back to college at age 34. Now I'm in my 40s and making more money than anyone in my family ever did. I just needed to find the right career for me and that took some time. These days, people will typically have 3 different careers in their lifetimes. It's not like when our parents were young.

Answer 3

Yes very normal. BUT, parents need to learn when its best to just stay the hell out of it.
Say, the 22 yr old 'kid' wants to be a solicitor but the parent wants them to be a doctor, then its time to stay the hell out of it. But of course, if the parent wants them to be a doctor and the 'kid' wants to be a stripper, then by all means, stick your oar in! same goes for if they want to be a pop star but cant sing, or want to be a model but have a face like a bag of smashed crabs!!

Parents should think about the possibilities of success in their kids chosen career and be objective in their opinions.

Im 31, my mum n dad stuck their oar in when I left school, then continued to push me into engineering jobs till the stress nearly killed me when I was just 27. I sat down with them, and told them that just cos my family have traditionally been engineers, doesnt mean I want to be. i was good at it, but was unhappy.
After that, i went and did what i wanted till i found something i was happy with, which is web programming and design. im better at that than i ever was at engineering and im earning a damn site more money, doing less hours a week, and working from home where i can be with the kids.

For the first time in history, the parents were wrong and the 'kid' was right. Probably never happen again!! lol!

Answer 4

Depends if your parents really care about you and your will being. then yes in someways they do especially if they are supporting you finacially. or if your still living at home. .
What you need to do is prove to your parents to trust your discissions and to respect your choices. knowing that your not doing to disrespect them but that it's what you think is right.
Remeber your always going to be there little boy and there just Protecting you from getting hurt. and if you have a great relationship with your parents you'll appreciate it for a little .
Maybe there just not ready to let you go and be a man or possible there not sure your ready for the work world.
be honest and tell them you need a little room to breath and that if they really trusted you they'd have to respect you to get respect back.
I know the feeling . and still do even though i'm all grown up. and have a life of my own.

Answer 5

There are many different families out there. I saw on Oprah (the remote was busted so i watched) about parents who live their failed dreams through their children, making their children into career successes but this is only because the parents forced it upon them. Luckily the children seems to like what they did, simply because they don't know it any other way.

I had no control of my decisions when i chose my GCSE's. I wanted to be an actor myself, and well, it was too unstable a future for my father to perceive. I only learnt to make my own decisions when I went to Australia for a year. It's amazing that these situations happen to us, but they do and I still find it hard to make decisions.

Parents must learn to teach their children to be independant. They have to be tested, sure, but they must also be allowed to follow their own path. It seems that your parent's "quote about responsability to the rest of the world". is blown out of perportion some what.

Answer 6

Your mother must have been a young teacher if she started at 4 ;)

We have three grown daughters with children. We have always been their advisors and a sounding board when they want to vent.

Bottom line is that they all make their own choices, which we support. But they appreciate our perspective (based on experience) on several issues.

As an adult, your responsibility is to make your own choices. However, it doesn't hurt to seek the counsel of experienced elders (even if they are your parents) to help guide your decisions.

Good luck and God bless.

Answer 7

parents always will let their feelings be known, no matter how old u are. and they know that u will do what u want. all they hope is that they have done their job properly and raised u right to know what ur doing. at 22 stupid choices are a part of life. but as long as u are happy .....they will be too. and will be there to support you if it has been a mistake. Good luck!!

Answer 8

if normal means that it happens to lots of people, teh answer is a resounding yes. not all parents do it and the ones who dont usually appear to be the cool ones (butremember that they are still not the 'normal' ones!).

come to think of it, if its just your career that your parents are interfering in, you may now consider yourself 'abnormal' (according to the above standards)!! lol

as long as it doesnt't get you too down , just happily accept that it will happen - you'll always be their baby.

Answer 9

Yor parents are supposed to be there to guide you, not to tell you what to do with your life. At 22 you should be living away form home and persueing your own interests

Answer 10

Yes, it's normal.
Just nod to avoid an argument and make your own decision about your career choice.