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Whether you’re fifteen or twenty, you’ll always remember you first job. Everything from the first day to the first pay check, your routine and customers and the people you worked with – they were all fundamental parts of your development. Because as much as school tries to prepare us, there’s no real way to learn what it is to be an employee without actually being one – for all the positives and negatives that lie in wait.

The person in this story has finished high school now and is ready to enter the world of work. And it’s not even about the money, they’re ready to develop the skills that you can only learn on the job, as well as meeting new people and becoming more of an independent adult. That’s a brave step to take, and one that some folk might not take lightly. But they are ready and they want to do it – in fact, they can’t wait.

So what’s holding them back? Well, their parents, of course.

Read on to find out what happened here.

AITA for wanting to work at a job, instead of working at home (even though it’s giving me “experience”)?

I’m near 20 and it’s almost a year since I left high school. I live with my parents and though they love me, they tend to be overprotective because I’m the youngest in my family.

Along with that, they didn’t let me get a job for it’ll “distract me” from my work. T

hey also don’t let me learn how to dive because multiple reasons (can’t say it here).

But now that I’m out of school, I asked them if I should try getting a job. They said sure but I need to “prove” that I can actually do it, which I said sure.

Let’s see how this is working out for them.

Now the reason why I want a job is because I think it would help me to have more experience to be around people.

For years I hated going out in public for I always think people are looking at me and/or judging me how I look or act, and I easily have a panic attack when I’m left alone for too long. But now I’m trying to get over it and want to get my own money without using my parents’ so I can feel responsible for myself.

So for months, I’ve been washing dishes six days a week for $25 dollars a week (so around $4 a day). I didn’t complain really for I’m getting money and I managed to gain around $700 for almost half a year (I don’t usually buy stuff unless it’s something I really want, which is kind of rare to be honest).

But if I did have to complain, my parents do tend to use a lot of dishes/silverware/ect. every night, leaving me a pile for me to clean up – but I didn’t complain and just accepted it.

Now though, they want to make the leap.

Everything seemed fine till February came and I started feeling like I should try asking my parents if I should try getting a job again. But when asking them, they still think I’m not ready and if I want to gain more money I can do more chores.

So they offered me to clean two of the bathrooms in the house two times a week for $15 dollars a week – and if I do a good job it would be $20. It sounded like an okay deal, but I feel like I would be better if I worked in an actual job. They then said “It’s probably better for you for you will have more experience when you live on your own.”

It may sound reasonable, but to me it’s something different for I know what they actually meant. But I’m not saying it here for that’s a long story and it’s off of the subject.

So now I’m typing this to know if it’s selfish of me to want to work elsewhere than to work at home so I can gain “experience” when I eventually move out. I do believe it’s true to learn how to clean for yourself when you live on your own and I want to help my parents, but I don’t think it’s something I should do forever.

Honestly, this person’s parents sound extremely controlling.

The ‘experience’ they’re getting at home, alongside the ‘pay’ is nothing compared to an actual job.

And they’re not getting any of the other benefits of working either.

Let’s see what folks on Reddit said about this.

This person thought that their parents were holding them back.

While others thought that getting a job would help out with their mental health too.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a niece who takes down her aunt’s legacy after she steals her entire inheritance.

Meanwhile, this Redditor thought they needed to take some independence.

It’s really unfair – and honestly, quite cruel – that this person’s parents are holding them back so much in life. Sure, there might be cultural or faith related reasons for treating them this way, but it’s really backwards and not helping them out at all. After all, until they get their first actual job, they’ve got very little to put on a CV, and all that is going to happen is that they’re going to be delayed in growing up further and being independent. But honestly, by the sounds of it, that’s probably what the parents want. And it sucks.

For the sake of their personal development and their physical and mental health, let’s all hope that they are able to get some employment outside of chores at home very soon. Because they need to learn and make mistakes in the outside world in order to grow as a person. Sure their parents might love them and might even think that they’re acting out of care. But holding you kid back in life is never a nice thing to do.