'My parents do not understand me.' 'They do not love me.' They don’t give me any freedom.' 'They want to suffocate me with rules and regulations.' - These are the complaints we usually have about our parents.
In some cases, these complaints are reasonable. Sometimes parents do force their own opinions on their children. Sometimes they want to see their own unfulfilled dreams fulfilled through their children. They never think that the child may have his/her own dream.
But even if that is the case does getting upset with your parents help? No. It only brings more frustration and failure!
So next time, instead of getting upset, think `My parents may be the greatest but I’m the latest . As the latest, I have more responsibility. If my parents don't understand me, it is my responsibility to help them understand.'
So communicate in a language they will understand. And that is the language of love, the language of respect. This language can bridge all gaps, including generation gap.
However, often what you want is influenced by your friends or the media and is not good for you. Other times your parents simply cannot afford to fulfill your desires. If that is the case you should accept your parent's decision.
A long time ago there was a huge mango tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it everyday. He climbed to the treetop, ate the mangoes, took a nap under the shadow...he loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him. Time went by...the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree every day.
One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad. 'Come and play with me', the tree asked the boy. 'I am no longer a kid, I do not play around trees any more.' The boy replied. ' I need toys,' he went on.' I need money to buy them.'
'Sorry, but I do not have any money...But you can pick all my mangoes and sell them. So, you will have money.'
The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the mangoes on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the mangoes. The tree was sad.
One day, the boy who now turned into a man returned and the tree was excited. 'Come and play with me', the  tree said.
'I have no time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?'
'Sorry, but I do not have any house. But you can chop of my branches to build your house.'
So the man cut all the branches of the tree and left happily. The tree was so glad to see him but the man didn't come back. The tree was lonely and sad.
One hot summer day, the man returned and the tree was delighted. 'Come and play with me', the tree said.
'I am getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?' said the man.
'Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy.'
So the man cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and didn't show up for a long time.
Finally, the man returned after many years. 'Sorry, my boy. But I do not have anything for you any more. No more mangoes for you ...' the tree said. 'No problem, I do not have any teeth to bite' the man replied.
'No more trunk for you to climb on.' 'I am too old for that now' the man said.
'I really cannot give you anything. The only thing left is my dying roots' the tree said with tears.
' I do not need much now. Just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years' the man said.
'Good. Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest. Come, sit down with me and rest.'
The man sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears.
 
Do you think the boy in this story is selfish and cruel ? Do you think he is ungrateful?
Then think, have you ever thanked your mother for giving birth to you, for raising you, for loving you? Have you thanked your father for all the hard work he did so that you could grow up comfortably? For all the affection he hid behind his strictness ?
You probably haven't. Because we take our parents for granted. We think it is their responsibility to take care of us. But just imagine, what would have happened to you if they didn’t do any one of those responsibilities! Where would you be now?