Family comparisons can be exhausting, especially when expectations feel impossible to meet.

One teenager finds her parents always comparing her to her “more successful” cousin. But no matter how hard she tries, it feels like her parents never value her contributions. So when she finally snaps, it’s not pretty.

Read on for the full story!

AITA for asking my parents “what’s wrong” in a tone after overhearing them criticize me?

I (15F) woke up late this morning and overheard my parents (42F & 52M) talking about me.

Her parents had a lot to say about her academic performance.

They were comparing me to my cousin (17F), saying things like she stayed up until 4 AM studying while I would never do that and that she’s made for success while I’m not.

They feel like she wastes her time on things that don’t matter, but she sees things differently.

They also blamed my headphones for “ruining my brain” and said I only waste time on my phone, which isn’t true.

I also do drawing, crafts, and other activities.

So she thought some time away from home would do her some good.

Yesterday, I visited my cousin because my uncle and aunt were in town. I was in a bad mood in the morning because I was woken up by my parents arguing in my room.

However, once I got to my cousin’s place, I had fun.

But of course, her parents weren’t happy.

My dad left me there for a while, and I was happy to stay longer. Later, my mom kept texting me, asking why I wasn’t replying when my older brother always does.

She even called my aunt to check on me, then yelled at me on the phone for not being responsive. Eventually, she sent my dad to pick me up.

They demanded answers to why she wasn’t behaving the way they expected her to.

When I got home, my parents told me I shouldn’t go to my cousin’s place again unless invited and that staying too long was shameful and could affect her studies.

So she couldn’t hold back her exasperation any longer.

Today, hearing them criticize me as soon as I woke up made me really frustrated. I asked, “What’s wrong?” in an annoyed tone.

My dad immediately responded harshly, saying something like, “Now this one’s awake and will start arguing.”

After that, I just pretended to go back to sleep, but I was actually crying.

This whole thing is starting to weigh heavily on her self confidence.

I know I’m not the best student, and my grades aren’t great. I also struggle with mental health issues that I’ve never told them about because they don’t believe in therapy.

And I know this is a small issue, but the way I reacted — was it really my fault?

AITA?

It sounds like this reaction was a long time coming.

What did Reddit make of all this?

Living under your parents’ roof can be tough, but it isn’t forever.

Being a teenager is hard enough without having your parents set unrealistic expectations for you.

There’s more than one path to success, regardless of what her parents might believe.

At the end of the day, all she can really do is focus on living the best life she can.

She may not have been staying up studying, but her parents’ constant hounding sure isn’t making life easy for her.

If success is measured in sleepless nights and suffering, maybe she’s okay with failing.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.